Where in the world is Elder Schomburg today??

Well howdies all y'all!

So, where in the world is Elder Schomburg today? Turns out that he did get a transfer after all! And it's a transfer that he's wanted for awhile, too. I am now serving in Quito! Woo! I'm in Calderón, in the ward Comite del Pueblo. I am so darn excited, you don't even know. My new compañero is Elder Maridueña from Guayaquil, and he's actually only here for about another 2 weeks or so. But it's not because he's about to end his mission, no. He actually only has 2 weeks less than I do in his mission. His mission isn't actually Ecuador Quito though. His mission is in Venezuala, but he was assigned here until his visa could clear, and it looks like it'll clear pretty soon here. So yeah, that's pretty cool. He seems like a nice guy so far, but he's a bit soft spoken and he has a Guayaco accent, so it's almost hard to understand him. But I'm still doing okay so far. I'm so excited to have a Latino compañero again. I'm going to learn Spanish even faster now. Oh, also, I'm senior companion again, so that's good too. Whenever I have more responsibility my confidence levels seem to shoot up and I can work better, so I'm way excited about that. I'm just all around excited right now. Also, it's cold here! Cold in a very good way though. I love it.

So, interesting news about that whole possibly-armed guy in La Concordia. Turns out that he was looking for us so that he could get baptized. Yeah, his ex had said she didn't want to date a non-member anymore, so he decided that he wanted to get baptized. We found this out well after Elder Larrea had left though, and I don't think the other missionaries had a chance to talk to him at all. But yeah. Interesting, isn't it?

I received some pouch that kinda upset me a bit. I won't name anyone, but someone thought that the missionary program wasn't being run very well down here and also that I shouldn't wait on the mission president to make decisions about my safety. I would just like to reassure everyone that I am very fine. The missionary program here is run just about as well as any organization could be, and that's because it's run by Jesus Christ himself through revelations to our mission president and his leaders in the 70 and their leaders in the Quorum of the 12 and the First Presidency. Elder Larrea and I were moved out of La Concordia about 10 hours after we heard about the slightest chance of any danger. I have been taken care of as well as is possible during my time here. Please, do not worry about me. I tell you these things so that you can feel more in the loop and to be able to enjoy my mission vicariously through me, but if it's going to be causing undue anxiety to those back home, the emails will probably be getting much shorter. Please, do not worry about me. If you're worried, pray harder and have more faith in Christ and in your Heavenly Father. I am on Their errand here, and as a representative of Christ I will be taken care of. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride...please. (In the mission, we would call that whole paragraph a "machete." Just a fun fact.)

The baptism this weekend was marvellous indeed. It was so nice to be able to baptize him, because I was the one who found the family, and after all of their trials they're now all part of a family. After I had baptized the husband, the wife told me that I had to come back in 2 years to baptize their son, who's 6, but the husband immediately said, "No, I'm going to baptize him." That was so amazing and incredible for me to hear. I told him, "Yes, you have to." They are so very strong in the Church now, and I know that they'll stay strong for a very long time to come. I am so thankful to have gotten to know that family.
Something that I realized was that I had kinda fallen into a rut of mediocrity. Well, I've climbed out of that rut now. I've been studying harder, praying more fervently, and trying to teach with more power as of late. I am done being a mediocre elder. My calling is not to be a mediocre elder, and in truth there isn't room or time for mediocrity in the mission. I'm realizing anew just how important my calling is, and I just want to be able to work harder. I should be working up a storm in this new sector of mine. I'm so darn excited about it, too. I love new starts. I don't know why, but I always have, so this will be good for me. Very good. Also, I really appreciated the advice that I got from mi madre about writting down my non-mission related thoughts so that I'd get them out of my mind. I think I definitely will try doing that, because some of the ideas are pretty awesome, not gonna lie.

También, I am so very proud of mi madre and all that she is doing. Busy is the best way to be, and happily busy is even better. Also, it's amazing that she's gotten 100% on all of her assignments (except that one 95%) for her classes thus far. That is so very amazing. She even has 3 clients as a Health Coach, and she's lost 56 lbs. Snap. Plus, she's a mom, so that automatically adds +50 amazingness. Madre, keep on doing what you're doing. You're doing incredibly, and I know that you can keep on doing so. I love you! 

[From his Madre: I include these parapraphs because Andrew has asked that I post EXACTLY what he sends home.  He doesnt' want it edited or watered down - he says what he says because it's what's in his heart and mind at the time - whether it embarrasses me or causes someone to question the way in which the mission is run.]

I am so very thankful for all that my Heavenly Father has done for me, especially now when I can see the blessings even better. I am so thankful for all of you that are supporting me while I am out here serving the Lord. Thank you all for all of the prayers that you send my way, and thank you for the pouch as well. Oh, madre, I remembered things that I need! Contacts. I might be able to buy some here in Quito, but I need to get some very soon. Um...that's actually about it. Since I'm in Quito now I can probably basically buy whatever I need/want (peanut butter, here I come!). But yeah, that's about all that I really need right now.

So, the past few days I've seen a lot of Germans (I know, weird, huh?), and hearing them speak makes me want to learn German so badly. There were some on the bus today, and I just felt like they were my people, like I belonged with them. It was weird, but cool at the same time. I'm definitely learning to speak German when I get back. (Yeah yeah, I took 3 years in high school, but that doesn't even count because I don't remember hardly anything. No, Imma learn how to actually speak German like a...third...language.)

Well, I gotta go now. I love you all, and I'm so very glad to hear all of the happy things that are going on back in the States. Also, Broncos training camp?? Does this mean there will be football after all?? Anyway, I love you so very much. Thank you all for all that you do for me, and I'll talk to you all in a week (that'll probably feel like 2 days, maybe). I love you! Cuídense!

Love,
Elder Schomburg

P.S. Pictures to come next week!