Battle of the ed Bugs Continue

Haaaaiiiii! Family! Fraaaaaaanzzzzzzzz!!!!!

I wish that I had A BILLION INVESTIGATORS WHO ALL WANTED TO GET BAPTIZED.

*looks around*

Okay, so I`m going to have to work a little harder on that one...

So, Dad, you`ll think this is funny. The guy on the computer next to me has been playing Candy Crush for like half an hour and I`m dying, haha that music brings me back to the days of my addiction. Speaking of addictions, I`ve been doing better with the milk ever since I drank half a thing of expired milk and I finally got the chance to weigh myself. Haha yeah....okay so I`ve only gained like 5 pounds my entire mission which I`d say is pretty good considering the fact that I`m surrounded by food at every second and I`m fed a mountain of rice every day and I drink as much milk as a baby dinosaur. RAWR. Hehe. But yeah...that`s what happened.

So the bed bug situation is...getting worse. This morning I woke up super early with 12 new bites, I wanted to cry, haha it`s pretty ugly, I had a dream that my bishop got mad at me for how bad my legs look and how I have to cover it with makeup and everything, haha but I`m just trying to be really positive and the offices called me and said someone would come this Wednesday to take a look, so I`m happy about that. I`m going to send a picture of my nasty enfermidad because well it makes for a good mission story, haha.

So the big news, I`m training!! Wooo! So Hermana S... is from California, she was in the Mexico MTC too so it brings me back to my CCM days with Hermana S.... We speak way too much English, I`m trying to be more disciplined and speak only in Spanish, like I know that`s what I should do because that`s how I learned from Hermana F..., but I`ll keep working on it. My comp is on fire though, like she studied a ton before her mission and has a super strong testimony, and POR FIN SOMEONE WHO LIKES SHERLOCK I WENT THROUGH 5 COMPANIONS. Ahem, not that it matters, but okay so it actually kind of does. Okay so it matters because I just prayed and prayed this time for a comp who I can be friends with, who has the same interests as me and everything, and I knew it was true love when we were singing the Monk theme song together last night. No but I have to work hard not to take her for granted cuz I didn`t realize when I was in the MTC just how great of a comp Hermana Stewart was and I have to work really hard this time around to make the best of this companionship.

So as for the work, the paradox continues of the more obedient I am, the less *visible* success I have. AKA we`re killing it with the obedience...well okay so we haven`t hit exact yet but I`m still working on making sure she understands the rules...but our investigators are just dropping off the face of the planet. We still have Ecuadorian Randy, he`s supposed to get married this week, we`ll see how that goes, we fasted and everything, and we have a lot of hope...we also have America and her kids, she has a testimony of Joseph Smith and everything and has seen the difference the church has made in her life, has asistencia, but won`t accept a fecha, it`s killing me. And we have Veronica. But Dad, you have to tell me, HOW THE FETCH DID YOU HAVE 25 BAPTISMS IN A MONTH that's like impossible that's been our zone goal and we haven't been able to reach that not even close. Yesterday this guy in our ward was telling us how on his mission he and his comp had a bus that they drove to church with all their investigators because that's how many they had and I was just like....how is that even possible. So Dad, you need to wave your magic missionary wand at me or something because seriously you are like a wizard you're having more baptisms than me right now, haha.

Anyways, that`s about it for investigators, and that`s about it for the work. Nothing super interesting happened this week, except I suddenly gained the magic power of being able to speak Spanish. Like I was reading in my journal from last week and I was saying "I feel like my Spanish is getting worse" but ever since I started training I`ve been able to speak really well, I understand basically everything and I`ve actually figured out subjunctive and today in Megamaxi I realized how Combined Object Pronouns work!!! So it`s a miracle, an absolute miracle. Don de lenguas, everyone.

Also, I`m starting to feel a lot more comfortable about being on a mission, like my brain has finally adjusted to the fact that I live and preach the gospel in Ecuador. I`m feeling good, really really good. I love my testimony, and I feel so grateful for the gospel and how much my testimony has grown out here of the restoration. This is 100 billion percent the true church, I know that with all my heart and not for the billions of evidences but because I can see so clearly how it has changed my life, and seriously I`ve changed out here so much I can hardly recognize myself, I have seen so clearly how much I am becoming like the woman who I`ve been dreaming of becoming and I`m so grateful for that, I know with a surety that this mission is going to help me to become who I need to become for my future family. The Gospel is true!!!!!

Well, that`s about it. I sent you guys a package today. Haha my one for your million. Thanks so much for all you do!!! Get ready for some sweet pictures this week. I love you all so much!!!! Keep working hard in your missionary efforts, friends AND family, you are such great examples to me!!!!

Love, Hermana Carter

p.s. this poor guy has been playing candy crush for like an hour, and I`m pretty sure he`s been stuck on the same level for the whole time, que pena. Hehe.

MISSION TWEETS.

(Quito Edition)

I`m sorry, I just can`t compete with the Assistants when calling a taxi #iamnotworthy

This bus driver is playing an entire Taylor Swift CD so this is my life for the next 3 hours.

Transfer meeting is actually code for gigantic slumber party where we all obediently go to bed at 10:30

Sneaking out of the house with the other trainers so we can go buy magic bread at the offices.

Well I can now officially say I have wandered around Quito at night 100% lost.

(Back in Ambato)

Lunch cancels on us without notification, some people would get mad but for me that just means it's the new Magnum Menta Icecream in the park.

Tender mercy is when you're feeling frustrated and tired and you get a taxi driver who speaks english.

You know you must be serving a mission in Ecuador when you have a dream about going to Megamaxi with Peter, James, and John.

*Sees something black on bed* "please don't be alive, please don't be alive" *moves* *screams, sets bed on fire* #pulgaproblems

The everlasting joy spoken of in the scriptures is actually the same feeling of finding your anti-itch pen after thinking you left it in Quito

I just got robbed by an 8 year old so there goes all the pride I've ever obtained in my life.

And these pictures I took especially for you guys...bowling for milk, my new comp, and darn looks like I'll have to send the others in a different email. Until next week!!