2013-07-15 ...that silver tape you can put on warts




Photo taken after service one day this week.  This is almost my entire zone.  There are 29 missionaries in my zone and we are by far the biggest in the mission.  President told me we will split at cambios.

Hey Everyone,

First, will you please send me a recipe for pancakes from scratch and for funeral potatoes.  Everyone here wants me to cook something.  Also, one lady in the ward really wants me to get the pancake recipe for her to make.

This week I did the sealing for 2 blessings. I need a lot more practice with that.  They both went well though.

I also went downtown on splits with Elder Olson to do my visa stuff this week.  Our companions got stuck in another area and didn't show up that afternoon to switch back so we just went to my area to teach.  That's when I did one of the blessings.  I really enjoy going on splits with the other Americans and get to a lot because my companion is District Leader.

We had a meeting with our Bishop and the Ward Mission Leader this week and we will have all of the Priests called as ward missionaries soon.  I'm really excited for that.  I also had a good, "recognizing the spirit" experience during the meeting.  He asked for suggestions for a new gospel principles teacher. I quickly thought of someone but didn't want to say it because I know almost nothing about her and she is very active so I assumed she already had a big calling.  I couldn't put her name out of my mind though, so I finally said something and the Bishop said she was just about to be released from the Relief Society presidency and that he thought she'd be perfect.  Then I felt dumb for not wanting to say anything before. 

This past Monday we made burgers and played signs and mafia in the church in Sacaba.  It is tiny. You can see the entire building is that one room in the picture with this email.  I have no idea how they do classes for 2nd and 3rd hour.  After that we went to the cancha.  When you come to pick me up you'll have to bring an empty suitcase so we can fill it up with the cheap stuff from the cancha. They had ties for less than 2 dollars apiece so I got 5 new ties.

This morning we were listening to the music on my companion's usb and there was a really cool piano/orchestra version of '1000 years' (one of my favorite songs) and that made me think of you. Also, I don't know why they don't in the US, but every speaker, dvd player, and tv have usb ports and can play anything off of a usb.  It is really cool.

I got a picture book that you made me last p-day.  I really like it a lot and everyone here loves to look at my pictures.  They always say our entire family looks the exact same.  Still no other packages.

I had an interview with president this week and he is probably the nicest interviewer ever.  He only says nice things and I came out feeling really good.   I  told him about how I love my area and companion right now and he said that I can probably stay for this next cambio.  That's really good because when my companion interviewed with him right before me, he had said that he wanted to send me to a new area to train.  I think it would be super fun to train but I really don't want to leave my area.  I'm hoping that I can train someone here the cambio after this next one.  I'm sure what happens will work out though.

Grandma Lori- I'm glad to hear that my mission tree is doing well and I got your letter.

(I asked him what he wanted in a package) I'd like beef jerky and that silver tape you can put on warts. (I assume he means duct tape--but does he want it for warts or for something else?)

I'd be happy to answer questions from the blog.  Also If you or anyone have questions you want me to answer put them all in the same email and next week I'll print it off and write out answers during the week.  (So, if anyone else has questions they've sent to Elder Howlett that he still hasn't answered or new questions, you can send them to me as a comment or in an email for those who have my email address and I'll compile them.)

Is Bishop Smoot still bishop or do we have a new bishopric?

We got a bunch of rain this week which was awesome, I love the thunderstorms here.

I electrocuted myself really bad when I accidently touched the shower head this morning, my arm was numb for almost an hour.

It's weird that I live so differently here but I'm pretty much used to it already.  I was hardly even surprised when I electrocuted myself.  I don't expect to see couches in houses and the dirtiness hardly even bothers me.

Hey Liz you should be going to the temple.  Mom's gonna buy you and whoever you go with a Dominoes pizza every time you go.  (What?)

Love,

Elder Howlett

P.S.

This is a picture of a little party leading up to a night-time missionary farewell for David Quiroga in our ward. I’ll be sad to see him go, he went with us to do visits a lot.  This little barbecue is right outside the church and is where everyone hung out for 2 and a half hours leading up to the farewell fireside.