week 19!!!

 Elder "Poderoso" Parke with yet another mission blog update. Week 12 is underway, and until my shiny new trainee comes, I have a "temporary" companion by the name of Elder Correa. Not only is he a good friend that I've already made, but he is also from Peru, but he is going back to his family in Spain after he finishes his mission (if I translated that correctly). If I'm right, Elder Correa's been having some technical difficulties with traveling back to his family - concerning his visa and other travel/mission documents - so he's been with more than enough companions temporarily, due to him having to wait until he can safely end his mission and travel safely back "home". From what I've heard, the only "issue" that others have had while serving with Elder Correa is the fact that he snores louder than a family of grizzly bears when sleeping at night. For the record, I'm going to try and see if I can get away with sleeping downstairs in the hammock we have... Just so I can try to get some actual sleep while I have Elder Correa as my companion, hahaha.

I couldn't feel more blessed to be here, and more blessed to know that not only have I been serving a mission for 4 months, but also because my Heavenly Father and His Spirit have been with me every step of the way to comfort me, to guide me, and to give me the strength, love, and faith that I need, in order to continue to bless the lives of others while I'm in this specific sector in Guayaquil. I may not have a trainer anymore, but what I see in that is that... Things are moving forward. I'm moving forward in my mission, and things are moving forward outside of my mission, too. Obviously, I didn't expect time to stop, and for everything to be waiting for me exactly the way it was when I left. But I also didn't expect for time and everything else to be passing by as quickly as it is. It won't be too long before I'm already halfway done with my mission, and soon after, I'll be packing my bags and getting ready to say goodbye to the unique, special country of Ecuador. I'm so grateful for the opportunity that I have to write these things this week, and I can't to see what else that I'll be able to write about next week. I love you guys so much, and take care!!!!

Con Sinceridad,

Elder Conner Duane Parke