Week 3- Halfway there...

Ethan's been at the MTC (or CCM in Spanish!) for three weeks now. That's halfway! He's got three weeks left to go before he heads out to Chiclayo. We got a treat this week, we got to hear from him one day early! There is a new group of missionaries coming to the MTC tomorrow, so they switched his pday to Tuesday this week. Yay! I'm glad I was home so that I could send the letter I had started. We even got to email back and forth for about 10 minutes. He sounds much happier and less homesick this week. It was so good to hear from him. Man, I miss this kid!

"Hey hows it going at home? It is alright here, there are still a lot of times I really miss home and all of you but it is getting better. This week was the last week for the older group, and we get new people tomorrow. It is pretty weird since it is only our group left. all of the older group and the latinos left last night. I cant believe that the CCM is already halfway done, and I am glad because it is pretty hard in here. We have a lot of classes and a full schedule from when we wake up at 6:30 till lights out at 10:30. Today the temple is still closed and I don't think that we will be able to go again, I hope that we can go when I'm in Chiclayo. Instead we went to a chapel a little ways away and we got to clean all of the dust out of it. A lot of the parts of Lima make downtown Phoenix look nice. 

The food is alright but I think that I am still getting used to it. My new favorite this week was called papa rellena, it was a potatoe stuffed with meat and spices and then fried. Also I thought it was funny that we eat those pic nic stick things all the time. They put them in sandwiches and as a side, Dad will probably think it is funny that people actually eat them. 

We got to have a devotional this week with the First counselor in the General Relief society presidency and I think it was also the President of the young womens as well. It was pretty good. One of the other Elders that left yesterday told me that his sister went to Chiclayo so he was telling me about it and I'm pretty excited to get out there and get going. Spanish is going alright but it is pretty hard. The people here speak so fast and they told me that in Chiclayo they speak twice as fast, so I'm going to need to do a lot of praying.

  

 My District and the people here are pretty good. My companion is alright but I am learning a lot of patience. He is from Nevada and is one of those people that always has to one up others stories or stuff like that, but if I can keep him focused we can get quite a bit done. It isn't perfect and I think Clay would have hit him already but its alright. Only 3 more weeks. One of the cool things that we get to do is practice lesson inside of little houses. We had a cool experience last week when something we were teaching about the plan of salvation, and The teacher and me and my companion all kind of teared up and the spirit was really strong. I'm not exactly sure what we said since it was in Spanish but I know it was the right thing to say. We also pray a lot here, which is good because I definitely need it with all that we are trying to learn and since it has been so hard being away from all of you. I'm pretty sure these first couple weeks are always rough, plus I'm already 1/32 done with my mission which seems like a lot and not a lot at the same time.

It is very dusty here in Lima. I don't think it ever rains, it is just always foggy. It's about 60 to 70 degrees all the time.

  

Hopefully everything is going good at home. You will have to congratulate Ryan for me. I hope everyone is safe as well, that would be a bummer to get hurt before wrestling. Tell Dad that his pin is pretty cool too."

A view of the city. Ethan says it's really dusty in Lima.

A nearby church building that they helped clean for service.

I'm glad he sent one of himself! I miss that face!

Another view of the city.

Ethan said it's always cloudy and foggy, but never seems to rain.