¡Quichua or Quichu-WHAT!

Date: July 6, 2015
Week: 54 Otavalo, Ecuador
Companion: Elder Lomeli/ Cedar Hills Utah
Colton's Address:
Quito Ecuador North Mission
Francisco Robles E-4 151 Av Amazonas
Edificio Iglesia de Jesucristo
Quito, Ecuador
Email Address: ronald.kimball@myldsmail.net

The heart of Imbabura is carved into the mountain behind me.
Otavalo, Ecuador July 2015

So since this is like the first time in like 3 weeks in which I get to write an email, I would just like to say Happy Birthday Collins! Happy Fathers Day! Happy Birthday Dad! and of course Happy Fourth of July! Haha I was a bit behind. It's been a crazy last few weeks.

As you know I got sent to Otavalo. Well its sort of Otavalo. We live in a little village area called Agato. They call Otavalo, Utahvalo because well there's tons of members and a lot of churches. Agato is a pretty hard sector, I have to admit. Elder Lomeli and I are the only missionaries in our ward. We walk in a bunch of dust so its pointless to shine our shoes. Oh and did I mention almost everyone speaks Quichua? Now before you say Quichu-what! Haha see what I did there? Anyways most people here speak more Quichua than Spanish and we have church in Quichua. Elder Lomeli has been teaching me some Quichua and I can almost contact in it.

Me posing
Otavalo, Ecuador July 2015

The city in the background
Otavalo, Ecuador July 2015

We don't have much to work with here. Don't get me wrong, the sector is huge! It's just most of it is farmland.... I came here and we had someone with a date for the 18th but she didn't come to church because her husband didn't let her. He was drunk. Elder Lomeli and I worked like dogs to get new investigators and we were able to find some but they weren't able to come to church.

We try to keep each other animated (excited) to just keep on keeping on. We work a lot with this one member named Luis Amaguaña but we just call him Wauki. It's just Quichua for brother. Wauki makes ties and scripture cases and all sorts of cool stuff. We get to call at his house everynight so we don't waste alot of time calling the district leader.

Wauki and Elder Lomeli and Me
Otavalo, Ecuador July 2015

We even put dogs to sleep when we teach.
Otavalo, Ecuador July 2015

My zone seems pretty cool. I feel pretty old now in the mission. There are a whole bunch of new missionaries here that I have never even seen. I guess I was in the jungle too long. We have a rule in the mission that if someone asks you how much time you have you either say less than a year or more than a year. You have no idea that I only have a  little ways to go now that I have more than a year. It's just weird! I also forgot to mention that in the sector we live pretty close to a lake and this one mountain that has a heart carved into it, and it actually looks like a heart. Lomeli wants to hike it but the members says it takes 4 hours to get to the top and I told Lomeli that I could barely make it to the Y.

Lomeli is pretty cool. He is from Cedar Hills, Utah and he has about 9 months, but he likes saying almost a year. He told me at the beginning that he is planning to play baseball (walk-on) for either Dixie State or BYU.  I told him by the end of this change he will have his mind made up on BYU. He told me yesterday that he will most definitly be playing for BYU. He likes the Lakers though. I was telling him how good the Spurs are and I showed him all three of the championship shirts. We get along well though. We just work hard and depend on the Lord.

We had one investigator at church last Sunday. She is married to a less active, we are reactivating and they are going to the temple tomorrow. They will pray outside the temple an read the Book of Mormon. I hope that she will finally decide to be baptized!

Always tired!
Otavalo, Ecuador July 2015

I love it out here and I especially love the huge heart that's carved into the mountain. There are so many reminders of the Lord's love here. First we have a huge heart we can just look too when ever the people won't accept us, or we are going through tough times. Another thing I have noticed is the dust. There is a scripture in Mosiah 2:25 in the Book of Mormon that reads:
"And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you."

I'm always trying to watch myself for being prideful and I feel as though this dust is really helping me out with that. I know that I have been called by a Prophet of God to serve this people here in Agato. I know the work can be tough but as soon as we get disanimated (discouraged) it kills the work. I am always trying to keep Elder Lomeli and I happy. He is a pretty happy dude by himself so it makes it easier.

House divided.  Though I am a Giants fan its his beanie that bothers me!
Otavalo, Ecuador July 2015

Well everyone here asks me if I am related to t(he prophet) President Kimball and I say yes. They love President Kimball here so I don't even have to use my Kimbolito line anymore. I just hope I can honor his last name but more importantly Christ's. I love you all, and wish y'all a happy summer!
Elder Kimball

Bailey- Have fun in Tonga
Clay- You going to get your Eagle before I get home?
Lexi- You got sunburnt! I wish I could!
Leah- Nice job sliding down that dam!
Bella- Getting cuter and cuter!
Collins- Sorry about forgeting your birthday but we had a baptism that day so that's what made me remember. Love you fatty!
Mom- Thanks for all the ties! I really needed them. The socks are nice too! Keep sending me packages. I hardly got any Cadbury eggs in my Easter package I just got :( Oh and did I mention I love you! Sorry for not writing!
Dad- That's great about the Spurs! I always liked Lamarcus! Native Texan. How old were you when you visited Otavalo? There are tons of gringos here. Especially in the Plaza de Los Panchos. If you want a tie with my mission logo on it let me know. Wauki does it pretty good! I love you dad and go cougars!
The one and only,
Elder Kimball