January 1, 2011

Dear Family,
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! I can't believe it's 2011 already! Time has gone by so fast. So I just wanted you to know that I've been a little bit sick this week. It was just a head cold but I've been staying with the Geldmacher's (a senior couple here) because President wants me to be in perfect health for this month. I think he's overreacted a little bit but oh well. I got to have new year with all of the senior couples.
So this year I learned a lot of weird Ecuador traditions that they have during New Years Eve.
1. Everyone drinks and dances the night away (I guess that's not completely weird)
2. There are a lot of young men that cross dress and stop cars until they give them money
3. There are other young men that stand on each side of the road and hold a rope between
them stopping cars. They don't let them by until they get money.
4. Everyone buys paper mache figures and/or masks and burns them. It represents burning
the old year away. My favorite was the one with Hillary Clinton being a puppeteer of all the
presidents of South America he he he :)

We could see all of these things happening from the window in the Geldmacher's apartment. I couldn't get any good pictures though because it was so dark and the camera didn't pick any light up. Elder Geldmacher told me that at midnight Quito looks like a war zone as soon as the clock strikes 12 because of all the fireworks. He was the only one that stayed up to watch them :) It was a fun New Years :)
So today we had Juan Carlos Montalvo's baptism!!!! It was such a good baptismal service. There were a couple of musical numbers and he had all of his member friends there. I had the privelige of baptizing him. He was so happy!!! They asked him to share his testimony after he got baptized and it was powerful. He compared his conversion process to climbing a mountain and that my companion and I were like his guides. He also said that this is only the first mountain and that there many more that are much taller. He understands and has goals to go to the temple. I'm so excited for him!!! He is a reference from Norma (my convert). They seem like very good friends so hopefully they get married :) That would be an amazing blessing!!!
So this week is going to be pretty crazy. We have 4 new missionaries arriving, ZL Council, and 2 All of the Leaders meetings this week. It's going to be a fun week :) Well I'm so grateful for the many blessings that I received in 2010. It was an excellent year. I definitely progressed more in this last year than in any other year before. I've learned so much and I've had some amazing experiences. I'm so grateful for each of you that have influenced my life. Thank you for helping me to be who I am. In my Patriarchal blessing it talks about how I have the opportunity to know and be associated with great and honorable people. You are those people. Thank you for everything.



Love,
Elder Hakes