Oct. 27, 2014 Transferred to Machala

Oct. 27, 2014 Transferred to Machala

This week I had cambios!  Which means I got transferred! So, chow Santa Monica and chow my baptism! That's okay! Thanks everybody for your letter! I loved them so much! I love you guys!

This week has been very humbling for me!  I have a new companion, Elder Narro! He is from Peru! He is great! Funny!  He loves the people, and its great!   I live here in Machal!  When I came here with all my bags and everything I stepped into the door and I saw a cockroach run into the other room! There are spiders everywhere in my house and  yeah bed bugs in our beds!  So mom, thanks for your other sheet I am using it! Because bed bugs are amazing!  I love it!

Like I said I've been very humbled! I am here, it's like Guayaquil but a lot more poor so in my sector we have a place that is very very poor, they live in wood shacks that are about as big as our kitchen! They have wooden floors and their doors are wood ! We work there like all day... I'll give you the pics..! Really its Africa!  It's all black people. The dogs are as scary as heck! I had to kick a dog in the ribs because he was about to bite me!  It's tough!  It's really really hard for my heart! It's not hard mentally or physically! Just emotionally.... in the United States we are soo blessed its ridiculous! Here I see kids that ribs are showing and they don't know when they will have their next meal!  They don't have Dads and it's really lucky if they do! There are kids that have whip marks all over their arms and especially on their backs because people here rarely wear clothes...but... I had my first cry here in my mission ... their was a family and all their kids had bruises and everything! They said they don't have any food and that their dad  drinks and smokes and when he comes home he beats his kids and it is very very hard to see and teach!  We are so lucky to have running water and to have showers.. and just clean dishes and dishes in general!

But we had a baptism!! It was amazing!! I LOVED IT SOO MUCH!!!! I had the great opportunity to baptize her! Se llama Nicole! (Her name is Nicole!) She's awesome!  I love it!!

Then we had the great opportunity to give 2 more priesthood blessings!  I love love LOVE using the power of the Priesthood it's just a reminder to me every time we us it!

Really I am soo stoked to work and serve the people here in Machala! I love my family soo much you guys are all amazing! I am praying for all of you!!!

Elder Hammond

                                              My new comp Elder Narro from Peru!

                                                          I got to baptize Nicole!!