Week 90 - Mother's Day Call

[Rough transcript of Adam's call home for Mother's Day - the call opens to what sounded like a kennel full of dogs barking in the background.]

Hey…what’s up guys? How are you doing? Happy Mother’s day! That’s so awesome you all made it and I can see you.

So can you hear the music and dogs? Those are street dogs, outside. There’s a lot of crazy stuff going on outside right now, as you can tell. I’m in the house of one of the nicest church members I’ve met in my entire mission - I know the wifi is going to work.

It’s so good to see all of you. Happy Mother’s Day! I must admit, I am a little nervous for this last call. I don’t know why, it’s weird.

Q: So, do you know how many days are left?

A: I don’t know. I know I have 12 weeks. I know I come home on the 7^th of August.

We got our changes last night and I am staying here in Esmeraldas. My companion, Elder Chavez, is leaving which I am kind of sad about because he’s been one of my favorite companions. My new companion is a guy from Bolivia named Elder Oyos. He is from the same ward as my trainer, Elder Fernandez so I’m basically ending the mission the same as I started it. But I am doing it way better this time. I can’t really say I enjoyed my training all that much. But it’s been so great to be back here in Esmeraldas again. It’s been a bit of redemption. I feel a lot older. Like I’ve leaned how to live. Like I’ve learned that it’s important to take a shower every day and if you don't, you shouldn’t be ok with that. I know it’s important to eat all the time. I’ve been living a lot happier, for sure.

Q: Do they have air conditioning?

A: No – the church has AC in the chapel (only) and the hospital. I’ve never been to hospital, but I imagine they have air. This area is very poor. It’s so good to see you guys – you look good.  

Q: What do you see there that you don’t see in the US?

A: Honestly, we could talk about that for an eternity. It completely depends on the region. The mountains, like in Quito, are very different from the coast. But in the coast there are tons of things to talk about. I know you saw the photo of the guy who stacked his ladder up against the wire. In the US, when they fix the electricity, they turn off the whole block. But he just turned off the one wire – you can see lights on behind him – leaned his ladder up against the wires and went to work. A lot of the things that are different here have to do with children and women. Like for example, something common here is when the mom’s feed their babies on the back of motorcycles or pick-up trucks. Laws in general are completely different – there may be laws, but I don’t think anyone knows them.

There are a lot of dogs they just wander around and make more dogs. The dogs aren’t aggressive they are laid back like the people. They are really, really dirty with fleas and ticks. We try not to touch them. Sometimes, a lot of times, they fight and that is one thing I don’t like because there’s no rules – they basically fight to the death.

But I’m really happy to be back here on the coast – there are a lot of amazing people here and I feel like I have grown a lot as a missionary and a person. I am living well despite all of the challenges here and I am really happy, which is good.

Q: How is the food – are you eating well?

A: The food here is better. In the sierra, you eat a lot of potatoes and corn. There’s a lot of food, really good food, specific to this region. Like this one dish, corviche - it’s like plantains shredded with a cheese grater and then mixed with a peanut paste and they put fish in the middle and fry it. It is sold in the street and we eat it a lot. There’s a lot of food that doesn’t have a name. The families here have a lot of recipes and flavors that are specific to their family. We had rooster for lunch today. It was like a – how do you call a field rooster, you know, they grow up outside – yes, wild rooster. The meat is really hard you have to chew it for a long time. They cook it a variety of ways – the woman today made it with a pressure cooker. We ate it with rice and fried plantains

Q: Your shirt looks clean – like you’re holding up.

A: Ya - all of my clothes are ruined. Right now I have 2 pairs of pants that work. I get holes in the crotch because we walk so much and you really can’t fix that. I mean, I’m going to try because it only costs like a dollar, but I need to get a new pair of pants. I’m doing really, really well – I’m really happy. I’ve been practicing my English.

Here’s another thing that happens in Ecuador not in the US – I am really discriminated against. Like the other day, I was on the bus and the kids started calling me “come gratis” – the guy who eats for free – and they were slapping their hands on me, like they were definitely bullying me. I’ve experienced a lot of things that will help me be more respectful.

Q: Do you cook your own meals?

A: We do try to cook our own dinners. We cook eggs, plantains, we make banana milkshakes because they’re very hydrating.

Q: Where do you shop?

A: We don’t really shop – the only mall in town is about an hour away on the bus because of traffic. I’m just really happy, I can’t really explain it. I’m just really blissful - I’m happy now, I’m happy what’s about to happen in my future, I’m happy for my life so far – I’m just extremely happy. To be honest, the thought of coming home kind of stresses me out.

Q: Do you still have the paper machete man? From New Years?

A: You know I bought that for $3, right? There are more cooler ones.

Q: You know why we love it right? Because it looks like you…

A: It’s in the apartment back in Quito. I’ll call Elder Ross and make sure it’s there.

Q: Hey Nathan, what is the first movie I need to watch when I get home?

A: Um, probably Star Wars.

I feel like a lot of missionaries get stressed when it comes to going home but sof ar, not me. I feel like I have a lot of time left in the mission yet. I did find out I won’t see Elder Castagno – he’s moving to another area to train, so I won’t see him until we go home. I think our whole group is together until Dallas.

I am excited. I feel like everything in the future will be great. It’s like the first time I was here, I was miserable and I didn’t want to be here. And then I went away and I learned how to live and coming back I have so much confidence and a sense of self worth. I feel like I’m conquering it now. We are just so blessed, every one of us, you know? Looking around at people who have dirt floors and their houses are made out of cinderblock and they have no chairs or furniture, just blocks to sit on – I mean, we should all be so happy just to be alive. I mean our family is amazing and I have such amazing friends. The fact that God has blessed us so much – we have to go out and help others as much as we can. I really love the new emphasis on ministering; I mean that’s already what we were doing as missionaries, but its good everyone is focusing on that more. I go out everyday thinking “how can I serve you today?” and I am just really happy about that. It’s really awesome. We all eat every day – 3 meals at that – life is really amazing. I love you all so much. We need to keep strengthening one another and loving one another, as much as we can.

I’ve had seem really incredible companions and I’ve really been able to get my head on straight this second year. I’m really confident and really happy. There’s nothing that can upset me at this point.

Next change a lot of my mission friends, Elders George, Moon, Welch, Morton, McKinnon – they are all going home. I’ll be really alone. Elder Morton is from Provo he has a lot of things I can do while going there for school.

Q: What do you think you will miss the most?

A: I will miss a lot of things. There are a lot of people who are very important to me in this country. There is one guy who was passing through some hard things and we really helped him and just loved him through it. Not doing that anymore will be really hard. I will definitely miss helping others full-time. I will be happy to lose this collared shirt and stop riding the bus and being with you guys and stuff. But everyone here is like family and I will miss them the most. When I was here in Esmeraldas the first time, I walked around in a stupor and must have looked shell-shocked because the members in that first branch really helped me. The people there remembered me when I came back and that was really great. The ward we’re serving in now will be one of my favorites.

But I will really miss the people. Like the familia Lopez in Tulcan. Hemano Mauricio got the Melchizedek Priesthood and Hermana Natalia (daughter) is planning to go on a mission. She had her first interview with President Murphy – he showed me a photo and I’m really happy about it. That is a very special family that I will never forget. I love Tulcan so much. Such an amazing family. We’ll go to their house one day and when they meet you, they will break down in tears. I just can’t describe the kind of relationship I have with them. I have families like that in every area I’ve been – especially in Cayambe, too. We baptized this one family there that lives an hour and a half from Church, up this big hill, in the middle of nowhere. Cayambe is at 10,000 feet and their house is at 13,500 feet, and they walk up and down the hill every Sunday to go to Church. They wrote me an email and are doing great. There will be a lot of people here to visit when I come back. Sorry my emails have been getting shorter and less detailed – enjoy each one because you only get 12 more from me.

I do want to get back to Ecuador as soon as possible. It would be wonderful if the Murphy’s are still here too. I’m down for that. I love the Murphy’s; we have a really good bond from my time at the office. President knows every one of us and exactly what to say and what we need to hear to comfort us.

So a quick story: I was on an interchange with another missionary recently and we went to visit this family where the mom was sick and asked for a blessing. And when we were giving her the blessing, a dollar coin fell out of her hair. She acted like she didn’t know it was there and just squealed: “ah, my money.”

Q: How’s your Spanish?

A: Great. Esther writes me from Madrid and the Spain-Spanish is gross with the vosotros and stuff. I’m going to have to work on that a bit. Ecuador Spanish is very different from Argentina and Spain Spanish.

Q: Well do you need anything from us?

A: Actually, yes, I do have a huge favor to ask. So Church culture, you know, people form expectations about missionaries and other people and how things should be. If you are wondering about anything you can do for me, please don’t have any pre-conceived ideas or expectations about me when I get home: please just accept me how I am. That will be a huge relief.

I know I’m going to have to see everyone from our ward, and give my talk, and for that I am excited…but it would be a huge relief to know that I am accepted by you guys.

Also – I’d appreciate it if you put together a list of music I need to catch up on and a couple of movies to see so I can try to be a normal person, you know.

Other than that, please keep writing me – there’s only 12 weeks left. Oh ya – I’d also like to go visit Paraguay. That’s where Elder Acquino lives and he is one of my favorite companions.

I’m working hard and happy. Ask you guys do the same. Use every single day to its fullest to be good people. I am looking forward to my last 12 weeks and finishing my mission strong. I love you guys. See you next at the airport. Bye guys.

- Adam