"Good news! I don't have cancer (yay!)"

Hi Mom,
 

     Yes, I was able to see the neurologist and get an MRI.  Good news! I don't have cancer (yay!). What I do have is something called sinositis (I hope that's how you say it in English), which means that one of the holes behind my eye is filled with pus and mucus, which is super gross, but way better than cancer. I now have to see a nose specialist, and we're going to figure out what needs to be done. So WE (directed at me and his dad I think) can all be super chill now haha.  The only problem is that the neurologist said it doesn't explain the problem with my vision, but that is getting better on it's own this week anyway, so it's all good.
  

     Stories, I know you like stories. So about the family with alcoholic father, yesterday we went to their house to bring them to church, and the father met us outside very drunk.  He informed us that this was the last time that he wants to see us at his house.  We told him that we could respect that, but we were going to keep on visiting his family all the same.  He started to argue, but we asked him if he believed in agency.  He said, "Of course! Everyone can do what they want to do.  If my kids want to be a mechanic, they can choose that."  At that point, he started to realize what he'd said then he stumbled into the house next door.  When we left with his family to go to church, he came outside, but didn't say anything.  His wife signed the permission we need for all four of their kids to be baptized and it's scheduled for this Friday.  

     Also, I wrote you about ____________ (she's the one that Michael said had kicked her boyfriend out "like a boss")  It happened!  After all this time, we finally baptized her.  She didn't invite anyone. There were only 6 missionaries at her daughter at the baptism.  She ask me to perform the baptism (which I had to do twice because she kicked her feet out of the water).
 

     The final story I want to tell you about is about __________ and __________. This family is wonderful.  One day we were walking, and my companion and I felt like we should knock on one certain door. My companion actually said, "Alli estan los bautismos." (There are the baptisms.)  We spoke with the lady that was inside, and she prayed in the middle of our lession, thanking God that he had sent us to her house. Anyway, we've been visiting them for a while.  There's a problem. They need to be married to be baptized because they are only living together.  __________   married another woman years ago but they split up and just never got divorced (which is really common here).  He doesn't even know where she lives but they want to be baptized so bad.  They know it's all true, and they keep telling us that they want to pay tithing haha.  Yesterday, they informed us that __________ is going to find his old wife and get a divorce, no matter what it costs so they can he can legally marry ____________and so they can both then be baptized.  I love this family so much.  They're the best. We're going to baptize their 9 year old son this Friday.
 

     They've invited us to come stay with them after our missions. They told us they are going to cry when we leave, and that we're like their sons.  They also invited us to their house for Father's Day on Saturday.  They said that we are far from our own dads, so we need to feel like we're at home in their house.
 

     There are some more people we're working with, but I'm out of time and I'll write about them next week, and I'll send some pictures too.
 

     I love you all so much, and I'm so grateful for all that you do.
 

     Love you Mom,
    

     Michael

She kicked him out ... like a boss.

Hello dearest Mother,
 

Thank you so much for always fasting and praying for me!  I'll answer the things you ask about first.  I still feel about the same, but things are starting to move along.  My zone leader and I have both talked to the President a few times, and he's in the process of setting up an appointment with a neurologist, because that's what the last two doctors recommended.
  

But enough about me.   ______________  is an investigator that I met on my second day here during the baptismal interview of her sister.  I've been working with her ever since.  She is 21 and has a daughter, but she's not married.  She was living with her boyfriend, and we were helping the two of them get married so she could be baptized but then she found out some things, and, long story short, she's not getting married.  Actually, she kicked him out of the house, like a boss!  Now she's going to get baptized on Friday and she's ask me to perform the baptism. She's a wonderful person, and I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity I've had to teach her, and I pray that everything turns out well on Friday.
 

We are still working with the family who's father isn't allowing their baptism. The last time we went over, he was drunk again, and was very unhappy when he found out that his wife invited us inside to help her with preparation for some of her kids things for school. He still won't talk to us much, but we are not going to leave the family. They really, really need help. There's a verb here, "machetear", that means basically to severely rebuke.  We're going to go do that to him and it's going to be awesome.
 

So I'm glad that everything is going well at home, and that you're still really good at "making things". That's an important trait for all moms to have.  I'm really happy that it's going to be summer soon and you'll be able to relax a little bit.   It's awesome that Regan TP'd your room.  Tell her that I said she's a champ. You're a good mom to have a end of the year party for Matt and Regan.  

Also, you ask about the package and it must have been the first one you sent because there was no debit card.  I sent some letters today, and possibly a wee present for Regan's birthday four months ago!!  Hooray!!! I 've had to carry it with me all the way from Peru until I could finally send it, but I hope she likes it.

Anyway, I love all so, so much, and I loved the pictures!

Love,
Michael

He wasn't the missionary that taught her but she wanted him to baptize her ...

Well Howdy Mother,

 

          I had two baptisms this past Saturday.  One was a nine year old girl named Karla, and the other was a nine year old named Andrus.  The funny thing is Andres wasn't my investigator. I spoke to him for a bit before his interview and apparently he chose me to baptize him.  Karla was a girl we taught and she also wanted me to baptize her as well. It was very cool.

 

          As of now, we have 5 more people with baptismal dates.   There is a family of 4 boys and their mom who want to be baptized but we're struggling to get permission from the father.  He is always drunk when we try talk to him, but the rest of the family really wants to be baptized.  I think we can convince him though to let them get baptized and we could possibly baptize him as well.

So how are you and your face?  (I told him his dad was ready to buy a plane ticket to Ecuador to go and get him.  He said…)  Tell Dad to not buy a plane ticket just yet, and that I'm getting things handled, or trying to.  I had an appointment this morning with the eye doctor and he basically told me that he has no idea what's wrong.  He looked at me and said, "Huh, well what do we do now?"  I said, "I don't know, because this is about the time I’d usually ask that question to the doctor."  Anyway, he told me to take two days of rest and go to a different ear doctor.  He gave me a name and set an appointment up for 4 o'clock tomorrow.  But I happen to believe that the new doctor isn’t going to have any answers either so I called President and asked for an interview and we're going to figure out what to do.  It might be tomorrow.

(I told Michael his cousin Alexa won’t be going to the Peru MTC at all because of her VISA issues and that she’ll stay at the Provo MTC.  He wrote …)  That's no fun for Alexa.  I haven't been to the Provo MTC, but the CCM in Peru is sweet.  (I told him that Kelsey was able to visit a friend in England who had just returned from a two year mission; that she was having a ball but had mentioned a couple of times that she was missing home.  He responded), “I'm glad Kelsey is having fun!  And she got to see Luke Nichols (said like Lumpy the Heffalump).  That's awesome.  I imagined that she might get homesick.  She's a family oriented person, sort of like her brother haha.

I GOT MY PACKAGES both of them, one from Dad and one from you Mom.  I have been happily snacking away since.  I got them last Tuesday, although the chips you put in exploded somewhere along the way hahah.  Thanks so much, it was so much fun :)

I’ll keep you updated.  I love you all so much, and make sure you tell Matthew and Regan that I love them!

Michael

 

Mom, we are so blessed...

 

Hey Mom,

 

So you wanted to know about my head ... it's still large (hahaha)   I just finished the treatment with the eye patch and medicine.  I don't know anything else as of now. I will have my appointment this week with the doctor, and then I will call President. I still feel the same, but don't worry too much. I'll get things handled :)
 

I received your envelope today with Dallin's, Eric's and Briana's blogs and the questions from Mrs. Jordan-Hick's class.  I will try to respond to all them this next week. I also got two more Dear Elders from Grandma and Brooklyn. Tell Grandma that I'm going to try to write her this next week and that I love her letters. Tell Brooklyn I'll write her too and I loved getting her letter.  (Michael can only write letters sent by regular mail every other week because he has to travel an hour to a place where he can mail them and it's another hour home.  THANKS FOR WRITING HIM).
 

Mom, we are so blessed.  You've never seen poverty until you walk around this city. I feel bad when the people ask me if I'm rich (which is pretty often) because I am.  (I ask Michael about Marthita, a woman who friended me on Facebook who sends me pictures of Michael and ask if she had an address where I could send something.  He just said it would be tough to send her anything...)   The address would be a bit rough. She lives on a mountain in a bamboo house like all the other houses there.  They don't have real addresses.      

 

I'm so glad Kelsey is having a good time! I hope she has the time of her life, and that Dad has so much fun when he goes over!
 

I don't have time for a story but I'll send one next week. We have about 7 people with baptismal dates and I'll let you know what happens.
 

Anyway mom, I love you so incredibly much. You are wonderful! I'll talk to you next week!

Love you Mom!!!
Michael

 

                               The pictures are of some favellas in the middle of the city.

Random things ...

Okay so this is from Michael's mom, not Michael (his letter this week is below) but I wrote a few random things down when we were able to talk to him on Mother's Day that I thought would be fun to share.

- KFC is the only food chain he's seen in Ecuador.  Half of the KFC sell mainly beans and rice.  The other half sell only ice cream.

- Milk is sold warm and it comes in boxes or bags.

- We ask what he misses.  He said his Dad's turkey sandwiches, his mom's enchiladas and Byron's carne asada.

- While we were talking to him on Skype, children came over and stood behind him and just wanted to talk to him.  He was so cute with them.  He says that happens everyday, all day.  They want to touch his "golden hair"and hear him speak English.  The other missionaries call it "The Gift of Barney" (yes as in Barney the purple dinosaur) because children follow him around wherever he goes.

- He said the worst meal he eats is cow stomach with peanut butter spread on top.

 - Ecuadorians put Christmas lights on everything all year round, including their phones and cars.

- We ask what most people do for work in Ecuador.  He said every house is a store.  You just knock on a window and they open it up.  He also said every car is a taxi.  The restaurants are also in homes and they serve mainly chicken with rice. 

- We ask about his apartment.  He said the outside is pink and green; mushrooms grow on the ceiling and three and four inch long cockroaches and spiders are everywhere.

- We ask him what he loved most about his mission.  He talked about how kind and loving and good the people are.  He talked about Sis. Elma, his Ecuadorian Mama who tells them to come in each time they are walking by and feeds them.

So love this kid!!!
Michael's Mom

... and we taught every lesson

My dearest and most beloved Mother, (alas, I am his only mother :)

 It was fun seeing you and everybody yesterday!  One of the best days since I've been out by far.   I think it's a good idea that you don't email the President, at least not yet.  He knows what's going on, and I'll make sure he knows it is serious. I'll talk to him before too long. Only 7 days until my next appointment, and I'll call him after that.

I'm so glad summer is so close and that you and Matthew will get a break from all that work (in his school class)... that is, until Regan gets into third grade. hahaha.
 

So I wanted to tell you about my first two converts because I didn't have time before.  Their names are Jennyffer (17) and Carlos (14), and they are wonderful. We were teaching their grandma, and they sat in on a lesson with us about the Plan of Salvation. When we were closing up, I asked Jennyffer if she had any questions. She said no but that she felt that there was something wrong when she had heard how other churches describe God's plan for us. I challenged her to pray about it. People hardly ever pray when you challenge them the first time.  When we came back the next day, I asked the Grandma if she had prayed, and she said no, as expected.  But then I asked Jennyffer, and surprisingly, she said yes. I asked her how she felt, and she very matter-of-factly said, "Good. I don't know how to describe it but.. I believe all that you're teaching is true."  At this point in the story, I would just like to add wee note ... If you're reading this, and you're not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and you've had questions similar to this one "Does God have a plan for me?", I would highly encourage you to talk to the nearest set of missionaries you can find. If you don't know how find them, ask my mom. She runs the blog and she can help you.
 

Jennyffer and Carlos are the best converts I could ask for. The other day I was stopped in the street by a teenage girl and she said, "You baptized my friend!" I asked her who her friend was and how she knew we were the missionaries.  She said that she had met Jennyffer the day before on their first day of school, and Jennyffer challenged her to come to seminary and church, and she was going to attend. The next day, we went by to visit Jennyffer and Carlos and we had an appointment to teach their mom.  Jennyffer and Carlos were at the table teaching one of their friends with all the old pamphlets that we'd given them.  They made their friend stay there for 4 hours, and we taught every lesson; from the Restoration to the Law of Chastity. The poor kid was mortified when they wanted to demonstrate their good work: "Ronald, tell the Elders what the Law of Chastity is. You remember. Tell them Ronald."
 

Anyway, they're wonderful, and are so much fun, and that's my story.
 

So keep on informing me of everything going on at home. I love you all!

 

Michael

Have some faith in me...

 

                     Michael's first two baptisms

Hi Mom!

 

    (Last week Michael said he almost passed out during a meeting and he had to go to the hospital.  He said the doctor gave him an injection and put him on a couple of different medications.  As is typical Michael, he didn't bother to say what they were treating him for and what the injection or medication was - just inconsequential stuff - so the following is his response to my questions).  First, I have no idea what they injected me with or what the medication was.  Previously they had put me on Celebrex and some red pill (I looked up Celebrex and the website said it's used for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and acute pain).  The ear doctor gave me some new stuff because he said that the ear pain was just change of climate.  (Is it just me or did he still not tell me what they treated him for at the hospital and "some red pill" and "new stuff" is not informative Michael).  I've been trying to figure out what to tell you what's been going on with my health, because I don't want you to worry.  So as a precursor, this might sound worse than it is, but don't worry about it, and have some faith in me. We won't do anything without talking to you first.  I spoke to the ear doctor, and he said that my pain has nothing to do with my ears; that it is a problem with my vision. He also said that there is a possibility that I might have to come home for a while and undergo some treatments, and possibly an ocular surgery.  This isn't definitive yet.  I still need to finish my treatment with the eye-patch, and then I need to speak to the optometrist again.  I still don't know too much about it, but we can talk about a bit more on Sunday.  I didn't want to say anything about it, because now you'll be agonizing all week, but yes, I know you deserve to know what's going on with me.  Sorry Mom.
 

     And heck yeah! I'm so pumped for Sunday! I'm so excited to talk to you all!! There's so much I can tell you about that I don't have time to write about.  (I sent him a picture of the houses going up across the street that are almost finished).  I don't like that they're putting up houses. That's where my forts are. I'm not going to be able to find any of them when I get back.
 

      So, my week twas good. We taught a lot and I can teach all the lessons without any problems now.  I know everything I need to be able to say about the gospel so I'm able to communicate with the investigators without any problems but when we talk about anything else, I still get lost.  I love it here.  I really love my investigators and the members of the ward. They're the best.
 

     Mom, I can't wait to speak to you on Sunday. It still looks like it should be around two o'clock your time.  You're a wonderful person for doing all that you do. I pray for you all individually every night, right down to my niece and nephews.
 

Love you all so much!!

Elder Costello