Sweet 16...dulce dieciseis...whichever you prefer...

So I heard a rumor...that someone is turning...................SIXTEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?????????????????????

HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY, CHRISTIAN ELIASON AYER!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU NOW HAVE 16 YEARS OF LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat????????????? I can´t believe you are that old now. Time really does fly and you are the best little brother ever!!!!!!!! I hope you have an awesome day and know of my love for you!!!

Thanks for sending me all the pictures of the pumpkins you carved. That´s something I definitely miss from being here in Ecuador. Halloween-y, American traditions. And now the Thanksgiving season is upon us.........well, upon you. Here, everything is just the same. But it´s fine. I love my new area and my companion and the hermanas we live with! We have so much fun and I love singing harmony!!!!!!! I love singing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy rabbit rabbit, are you voting tomorrow?, and chao daylight savings (we´re now in the same time zone again).

Enjoy the pictures I sent and know that pictures speak a thousand words, and then remember that when you read this short email.

But from this week, what I want you all to do is read Neil L. Anderson´s talk "It´s a Miracle" from the April Conference! I know you all heard it, but READ IT AGAIN!!!!!!!! It tells you just what you need to do as members of the church to help in the missionary efforts. It´s YOUR responsibility...not the missionaries´. They are here to help YOU in your missionary responsibilities. Then read 2 Nephi 26:23-33. EVERYONE is invited to take part of Christ´s salvation. Everyone has the opportunity to hear the Gospel! Everyone needs it! NO ONE is excluded from Christ´s salvation NO ONE. Everyone is invited to partake of His goodness and His love. No one is excluded from worshipping with us. Everyone is invited to worship with us in the House of the Lord and feel the Spirit. Everyone is alike in God´s eyes. We are not better than anyone else, so we have to help those who haven´t been fortunate enough to hear the gospel...to hear it!!! It´s our duty! Do it!!!!!! I love you so much!!! Help our neighbors, friends, conocidos. They need this message!!!!!!!!!! Have charity!!!!!!!!

This week, my companion and I didn´t have much help from the members, so it was a little hard, but we found a few people who want to hear the message we have. One man is named Alberto, and he lived in Worcester, MA, about 10 years ago! He always tries to speak English with us, but I can´t teach in English, so we just stick with Spanish. He smokes, but really wants to stop. He really wants to have happiness and peace in his home, so he´s seeking for the truth. And guess what?? We have it. He went to church on Sunday and LOVED it. He has a baptismal date for the 30th of Noviembre, so pray that he can quit smoking! I love the Gospel and know it changes lives!!

This weekend was las fiestas de Cuenca, so there were a lot of people gone to concerts, putting flowers on their relatives graves, eating colada morada and guaguas de pan, and of course, drinking. Nothing can stop the work from progressing, though!! We´re still esforzandonos to find new people and help everyone to partake of Christ´s salvation!!!!!!!!


I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Hermana Ayer

P.S. Will, I got your postcard!! Thanks!!!!!!!!