Elder Shaydon Gates: Over The Hump Month ~ May 2013

5-6-13

Hey family how’s it going. Ok so I’m sorry to say that I haven’t done anything to get ready for mother’s day. Last week was crazy. But hey I got some good news, I have a Google+ account . . . I think we can do Skype for a while, president has never given us a time limit, so let’s do Skype for umm..... 3 hours ha-ha. I haven’t planned on the hour; I will let you know as soon as possible!! I promise you. Everything is going to work out on Sunday, but remember, president Montalti lets us know the last minute ha-ha kinda like Christmas, so yeah I’ll let you know last minute when I find out. But yeah I have a Google+ account, I don’t have any friends on it, I just created it to see what Google+ is like. So I can log on and just add you on Sunday. How does that sound?

So we didn’t have any baptisms yesterday, it’s been a little hard these last couple weeks, we are working very hard, putting everything we have each day in the work. People here are like people in Cuenca. They tell you they are going to go, but they don’t go ha-ha. So we definitely have to verify better this week. I think we are going to do better; I’m going to do the same as mom and keep everything a secret until mother’s day. I’ll let you know everything that has happened in the past 5 months on mother’s day.. Hahahaha mothers day is going to be awesome, but please don’t stress out if you guys don’t find out right now. I will let you know right away when I find out. Maybe I might log on in the middle of the week and tell you, I don’t know, but just remember that everything will work out.

Side note: Elder Gates called us on Saturday afternoon (before Mother's day) when we were in Spanish Fork for state baseball having lunch. I answered my cell phone to a strange number but no one answered on the other line. The same phone number called me back and I answered again but this time hearing pure mayhem on the other end. A loud and fast talker with a lot of background noise (stupid solicitor, ha). I kept saying, "hello, hello?" I was thinking maybe it was Tanner because it kind of sounded like him. Finally the voice yelled, "mom, it's me, Shaydon!" Ha-ha-ha. I yelled out loud, "Shaydon!" I was not expecting him to call me like that. Anyway, it was a quick call stating that he couldn't Skype and to call him by phone on Mother's day:(

Answers to dads questions.... no it hasn’t been raining a lot. The people here have said that it rains really hard from January to March. So yeah it hasn’t rained a lot here. I can’t remember the last time it rained to tell you the truth. I don’t want it to rain, because when it rains, it’s like a sauna ha-ha. But I’m loving this weather here, it’s nice and calm. In the afternoons it’s hot, but that only gives us motivation to get into a house and teach ha-ha-ha-ha.

Okay I’m glad to hear everything is going good at home. I miss the heck out of you guys, I’m doing good here in Ecuador, I had a cold sore this week, it’s been annoying because the members are really nervous for me. They want to make sure that I’m well taken care of ha-ha. Okay family have a good day. Peace!!

5-13-13

(the day after the mother's day phone call. I felt bad that we hadn't been able to put G'ma Goodwin on 3 way and talk to her. I wrote Shaydon wondering if he could get permission for us to call him again so that he could talk to g'ma since she wasn't doing very well. This was his response):

I feel horrible that we didn't put g'ma Goodwin on the phone. How is she doing? I honestly think I can’t call. It’s just we talked for 2 hours yesterday and now I don’t think I can slide this one by and call again. If I call again, I would want to talk for a while again. I’m going to write a letter and you can read it to her how does that sound? But how is grandma doing? Man every time I get online, I’m always hoping she is still doing well. There’s a chance she will be still here next year, man I hope so, I want to shake my finger at her one more time ha-ha.

Letter for Grandma Goodwin:

Hey grandma!! Grandma I feel awful that I wasn’t able to talk to you on mother’s day. I just want you to know that I pray every night for your health; I always include my grandma Goodwin in my prayers. I always have fond memories of you grandma, I remember every time I see you; I always shake my finger at you and say no no no ha-ha. Wow that’s something I will be doing for the rest of my life with my kids. It’s been fun here in Ecuador. The people here are really nice and open to talk. It’s a little hot here but it doesn’t bother me too much. I haven’t eaten anything to crazy, just Guinea pig and hot milk. I have lost a little weight too ha-ha.

That’s cool to here you are going to have 4 grandsons in the mission, I think that’s right, Elder Goodwin, Elder Smith, Elder Bryant, and yours truly, Elder Gates? I know that each one of your grandsons prays really hard for you because you are truly the best example to us. You are always ready to support us in every moment in life, and you are always smiling. Thanks grandma for everything you have done for me. Thanks for being a great grandmother and supporting me in everything I do. I love you so much grandma. Happy mother’s day!!!!

Elder Gates

Okay so not much new to talk about, I forgot my camera at the house, ha-ha sorry ill send the pictures next week of me talking on the phone. I had fun talking to you guys yesterday.

So I completely forgot to tell you guys we had a baptism on Saturday ha-ha. Man the baptism happened so fast and it was so easy too. This lady has 65 years; she wanted to get baptized so badly so ha-ha it was really easy. There are a lot of people that want to be saved here in Ecuador.

Okay so we might be having 2 more baptisms this week. Well have to see though. But the next week we have 2 baptisms seguros (for sure). But yeah short email this week; this is going to be a great week so next Monday will be awesome. Bye!!

Side Note: About 45 minutes after receiving Elder Gates email, I got a call on my cell phone and immediately recognized the phone number! It was Elder Shady calling me! I quickly answered and he said that he got permission to call Grandma Goodwin!! I was so happy. We hung up and I proceeded to call grandma and make sure she would be available before I put Shaydon on 3 way. She was laying down in her bed after having a bad night and morning but perked up when I told her I was putting Elder Gates on the phone! Her voice didn't sound the same since she was lying down and Shady hadn't really talked to her since he left a year ago and she sounded quite feeble and sick. I could tell Shayd was a little bit teary to hear her voice but I explained how she was lying down and wasn't feeling well. They talked for just a couple of minutes until Shaydon had to hang up. Shaydon told her he was shaking his finger at her. She laughed. He also told her he loved her and was always praying for her. G'ma expressed how she couldn't wait to visit him in Ecuador and Bret in Scotland. ya, I bawled like a baby for a good half hour when we hung up. i knew that would be the last time Shaydon would talk with his grandmother in this earthly life. Such a tender mercy that he got permission to call:)

5-20-13

State Champs! That’s awesome!!!! Wow I’m super stocked right now. Man I was shaking in my seat when I was reading your email. Man good job mom, you can really describe each inning good. Yeah I wrote Clint and told him how much of a stud he is. My little amigo sera un buen misionero (will be a good missionary). snow canyon is the greatest high school in history!!!!

Okay so this week has been a little tough. we were going to have 3 baptisms but they didn't pass their interviews for various reasons. They will have to wait longer.

Okay so brought 7 people to church on Sunday, it was awesome, the atheist didn’t go to church, and I was a little upset. but we are going to work hard this week so we can continue to have baptisms in June. sorry for the short email. pictures next week and a long lengthy email next week. I love you guys so much. thanks for the picture and the support every day. miss you guys tons!!!!!! goodbye!!

5-27-13 - Over the Hump!

I think its official. I’m talking like a Latino here in Ecuador. A member asked me to talk in English, and I started to talk, and I wasn’t saying my "R" correct. Idk ha-ha I think it’s hilarious. I’m going to return to my house talking like a Mexican ha-ha. I know everyone is going to make fun of me and everything, I don’t care, its evidence that I served and put everything I had in the language and in the mission for 2 years.

Okay so first, I would like to mention about the package. I received the package like 2 weeks ago, but I just forgot to say everything every week ha-ha. I got the package after mother’s day but I just forgot to say something ha-ha. I loved the package. I shared the chocolate with the other elders. And the jerky, the people here were calling the jerky "Carne Gringa" ask tanner for the translation. I liked the journal too. My big journal that I bought in Peru is going to end soon. I have like 90 more entries left. I think that journal is the best investment I have made in the mission. It will last for 400 days of the mission in the field. That’s a big chunk of the mission ha-ha. I counted and the next journal will last for like 77 days or something like that. So ha-ha I think I will need another journal to end the last 4 months of my mission. Can you believe that I have been out for 1 year? It’s crazy and I can’t believe how fast the time has gone by. I was talking to some of the members here in Batallon. They ask me if my younger brothers are going to serve. I say yes!! That my little brother Clint will be gone next year, probably in Augusto. Can you believe that!!! Wow Clint will be a missionary soon, learning the Japanese language in Japan. Ha-ha wow and then Jaxon will be gone in like 3 years right? Or mas? Idk but I’m excited to be receiving letters from them and from the experiences they will be having.

The Batallon Zone

Okay so ha-ha my comp left. He had changes on Friday ha-ha. And so right now, I’m in another threesome. I’m currently with Elder Castro and Elder Balda.

The 3 Combo Punch ~ Gates . Balda . Castro

Elder Roig had changes and went to loah. Man I’m going to be praying for that elder because Loah is like ta very difficult area. And yeah something happened to his family last week. His aunt died so Elder Roig got permission to call home. It was really hard for him. And now, he had changes and went to Loah. So yeah I'll be writing him and asked him how he is doing.

So it looks like together, we are going to have 4 baptisms this week. I was preparing 1 person to be baptized, and elder Castro was preparing 3 other people. So it looks like we are going to have 4 baptisms. We have changes next week. Elder Balda is only here to wait for his visa. I know he’ll be leaving soon so I imagine that he will be leaving here soon to go to Argentina.

Okay so nothing too new. I ate McDonalds in the terminal when we dropped off Elder Roig. I took out some money of my account because I didn’t have any money, so yeah just to let you know. We are preparing a couple teens to be baptized that don’t have a lot of money. I would like to buy them a gift after their baptisms and buy them a shirt and pants. I’ve priced the shirts and pants here and the 2 cost 18 dollars together. I would like to take money that I saved from my mission and buy them a shirt and pants. I want my converts to be passing the Santa cena here soon ha-ha.

Okay thanks for your cards. I’m going to send pictures of what I did for my 1 year anniversary. I love you guys a ton!! Thanks for everything!!! Bye!!