Week 66 - Ecuadorian Thanksgiving!

Well I started a letter but wasn’t able to finish. We’ve had lots of elders in our house this week for some meetings and we have been super busy getting things ready for transfers next week (a.k.a. crazy week). Oh and we’ve also been super busy preparing for Thanksgiving!

So happy thanksgiving everyone! We are just finishing our lunch and let me just say it was amazing. I hope you can tell from the photos…lots of food and lots of fun with the best of friends. Today we woke up at 6 am to go play our Turkey Bowl at this park called Parque Bicentenario. Look it up, it used to be the old Quito airport but now they’ve converted it into a big park with lots of bike riding space. Super epic.

After the park we came back and started cooking. I was in charge of the cheese potatoes and I made a banana cream pie. I succeeded wildy haha. It was perfect. We bought all the stuff last week and it just all came together amazingly. It’s been a great p-day!

Other big highlights...the ward talent show last night. Oh goodness how can I even describe. We put on three acts as the missionaries, including the singing of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” with modified mission lyrics. LEGENDARY.

I am really happy. I feel great all around. Elder Moon is leaving so I’ll have a new companion starting Monday. It will be great whoever it is.

So how are all you guys? How was thanksgiving? The food looked great!

I love you all, have an amazing week.

- Elder Ericksen

Week 65 - Busy, Busy...

Hey family,

It's been in interesting day. I feel like I'm doing and experiencing more now more than ever but I'm communicating less of it. There just isn't much time to write.

We had a great P-day today. We went to a little watercolor museum and looked at the pictures intensely. I wish I was more artsy haha. I will try harder when I get back. After that we went to a members house where they gave us some very delicious lasagna, actually. I was surprised. After that we went to a park by our house and played frisbee. After writing we are going to buy food to make a Thanksgiving dinner and stuff. All in all, a great day. That's what I needed.

So Elder Moon will be leaving next week with transfers and I'll be all alone. I'm kind of nervous but I'm confident that I'll be receiving lots of help when I need it from above. All good.

I don't know... I'm doing well. I'm stressed about college and feel bad that I haven't been able to write more. There is no free time. I'm always up to the brim on things to do. This week I'm making a video for the Elders that are going home and get everything all organized for that. This last week elder moon and I made the mission christmas card. I'll send a copy. It's pretty cool.

I love you.

- Elder Ericksen

Week 64 A Little Reflection

Dearest Friends and Family,

I’ve pondered quite a bit about what I want to share with you when talking about my 20th birthday.  And well, I have decided to just make a list of a few highlights and then after that I want to share some feelings.  It’s interesting that a week has now gone by and I am sitting with the perspective of looking back on the week.  I think it should help me get my point across to all of you.

Birthday highlights

1. Elder Castagno:  This guy is awesome seriously.  When I woke up at 6:30 am like always, we got a text that he and Elder Cruz were outside.  We opened the door to find them standing there with hot Almohabanas (those buttery Colombian biscuits that I love.  Who knows how Elder Castagno figured out how to make them)   I was happy eating well.  Later we got dressed and went to work on our duties in the office.  I was sitting there on the computer looking at a financial report about mission credit cards, when all of a sudden, I  hear exciting chanting and laughter rolling out of the elevator as Elders Morton, Chevariaga, Cruz and Castagno come skipping and posing with cinnamon rolls.  We all loved it.
2. President and Hermana Murphy: The excited moment calmed dow briefly and President and Hermana Murphy arrived and brightened up the moment more.
3. Saca La Resaca:  Walking in they wished me a happy birthday and President announce that it’s not often that the office celebrates a birthday and that eh wanted to take us all out to lunch to a crowd favorite Saca L Resaca.  It is a coastal food restaurant and the name makes a reverence to getting rid of a hangover.  I am not sure what it means, but we all loved the food.  I am realizing that everything I have to say is about food.  I am sorry.
4. Before ending my discussion of events I need to tell you about the amazing cake and song I had this year thanks to  Hermana Murphy.  It was very different than last year if you recall the photo of me sitting on that little bench with my set purchased cake.

Anyway, my feelings.  All in all this year was much less humble/simple than years past.  I really didn’t feel so out of the norm and I loved it!  I was so surprised and full of joy all day long and I will certainly never forget it.  All that being said, when I got home I was feeling different.  I felt relieved and really loved, but in the same instance I felt like the  kid who gets and A on a group project for just being part of the group even though he didn’t really do anything for it.  I felt like some sort of memory wanderer.  Stuck between to objectives.  I felt like I don’t matter or at least I shouldn’t matter.  Right now in these 2 years, I am not here for me.  It is the other for right now.  Another example:  Technically, I supposed to be writing essays for college and that is so well off and not part of of my brain.  It feels so against the grant be thinking of that far off time. At this point I would rather just going on living day by day here in Ecuador.  But life goes on.  I love guys.  This weeks let’s get everything done that we to, but also really focus on what is important.  Talk soon

Elder Ericksen

Other news

Today was another fun pday we went back to the woods and made a fire and cooked hotdogs with avocado and played more of that mountain cricket game. Ive been really enjoying it! We also had a baptism today which it always fun. it was a 9 year old girl. we got the mom to start going to church again and then she wanted us to teach her daughter and so we baptizes her. All good stuff.

If you look closely you can see the Grandpa Phil’s patented paper airplane being used even in Ecuador.

Week 63 - Well Don't Get Excited...

This has been the busiest week of the mission and I didn't get a chance to write. Here's a quick summary for my favorite people:

We had a visiting Area Authority 70, Elder Falabella, come to the mission and I was responsible for arranging so many things - mainly meals and catering and, wow, so much stuff. Our preparations paid off  and I was glad when it was over. His wife also accompanied him and it was all so awesome.

Today was P-day but it was consumed by our monthly leadership council meeting with the leaders of the mission. We secretaries and assistants went to the mission home early and prepared a big pancake breakfast for everyone before joining the meeting. It was a fun event. We finished around 2 and spent the remainder of our p-day bowling (in our suits) at the Quicentro. It was a BLAST. I will never stop repeating how much I love being with the best mission friends here in Quito.

In other news, I'm 20 now. I'll capture some of my thoughts on my birthday in my letter next week...just know that it was an awesome day! Hermana Murphy made it so special -- she baked me a cake!!!  I was so, so surprised and super happy when I saw it! She really is the best. In our council meeting today, a sister missionary who is going home next change expressed her appreciation for the love of Sister Murphy. I feel the exact same...she loves us all so much and its so apparent in all that she does for us.

So I need to go buy some groceries. I love and miss you all so much!!! Have a great week!