Week 8 - Dual Zone Conference in Sucre

Hello,

What a week! We had a Dual zone conference in Sucre which is about a 10ish hour bus ride there, and we spent two days there. Then we had a return bus ride of the same length. What fun. But I got to spend more time in Quiriza, 2 days to be exact. It is a great place, look up pictures if you can. But it is good, I enjoy the field, time is going slow but I know that it will start to pick up. I am bummed that there is no snow here for this Christmas season, but that is okay. I will have plenty of snow in the future. Next week is time to harvest Garlic, so we will be very busy, and busy is good.

I am halfway through this transfer and have not yet spent a full week in my area. And this week we are coming back to Tupiza on Saturday for the Christmas Devotional and don`t leave until next Tuesday. But oh well. I know time will start moving after Christmas. The language is coming along fairly well, I can`t tell but Elder Cortez said so.

I hope you all have a great week.

Love, Elder Howells

**This is a link to the Mission President's Blog when they held a zone conference in Quiriza.  You can see pictures read about Brad's area.

http://3yearsinbolivia.blogspot.com/2015_05_01_archive.html

Week 7 - Planes, Trains and Automobiles!

I´ve literally lived planes, trains, and automobiles. I am a master at charades now, too. A little of what I´d like to call a language barrier. I have an area that is awesome, every single person in the mission wants to go there. It is called Quiriza. About an hours walk from Argentina. It is a service area with no real electricity, internet, or roads. You would think I was in Arizona with the Navajo. Really cool, we wear p-day clothes every day, work in the fields farming, we get to ride horses, go camping on our way to other pueblos, and I get to learn how to speak Quetchwa. It is a neat area, but I have hardly spent any time there becuase we´ve had a lot of conferences in Tuipza, which is about a 5 hour walk or a 1 hour by hitchhiking. It is a great place really great people, but it is like living in the old west. It is the place where Richard G. Scott first started the Church in Bolivia. It has the first chapel, which we live in, and the first member and his wife in Bolivia. They have no teeth, so understanding them was a monumental struggle, but it was a neat experience to meet them. I am glad to be where I am. He had the priesthood ordained to him by Richard G. Scott himself. Pretty cool. My Spanish has improved drastically with Elder Cortez, my non English speaking trainer. He is an excellent guy, I really enjoy working with him. But man, time is crawling at a glacial pace. I know that in about a month I wish it will start slowing down again. But it is good out here.

Another thing I forgot to add about Quiriza. It hasn´t had a new missionary and trainer or anyone less than 1 year experience in 2.5 years. Since before president Hansen was here. And hasn´t had a baptism in that long of time too. The people are all really nice and receptive to the message, but don´t care that much I guess. Hermana Hansen says that president must have a lot of trust in me to send me out there. Hopefully we can get the ball rolling.

Getting from Cochabamba to Quiriza was interesting. It was a 30 minute flight from Cocha to Sucre, then 1 hour in a taxi to a bus stop (busses are called Floatas) and then 8 or 9 hours to Tupiza which is where we slept. Got in at about 5:30 in the morning. Then another 1.5 hours to Quiriza. You would be right at home with the RZR in Quiriza. Literaly everything looks like Moab, just with insanely massive mountains everywhere. The Andes are nuts!

Love you all!

Quiriza, Bolivia

Brad w/ President and Sister Hansen

The Newbies

Week 6 - Cochabamba!

Hello!

Got to Cochabamba at about 7:30 this morning. I don't have a lot of time to email, just to say that I made it. It is so amazing here, the city is so quiet and clean and beautiful. And the mountains are unreal. But I am alive.

I love you, my P-Days are on Monday, so I will shoot you some emails then! Love you!!

*Parent Note (Brad left Lima last night at Midnight and flew to La Paz, Bolivia and then to Cochabamba.  He was able to call us from the Airport in Lima.  It was so good to talk to him.  I (Chris) was at the Utah Basketball Game and talked to him for a few minutes while watching the game.  He sounds so good!  He is so excited to be in the field and leave the monotony of the MTC.  He loved the MTC but was ready to move on.  We are so excited to hear about his trainer and first area on Monday.) 

Week 5 - Devotional w/ a member of the 70

Hello!

Life here is repetitive to say the least. Zone Leader is mentally exhausting, but a rewarding thing to do. We had a live devotional last night with a Member of the 70, it was excellent. Not a whole lot to report on this week. I am leaving for Bolivia on Tuesday, and I am so excited. I will for sure have a lot more to report on at that time. I hope you are all enjoying the snow, and just know that I am seething with jealousy. It is hotter than sin here, but nevertheless I still enjoy it.

That´s all I´ve got for today. Love you all and have a great week!

Week 4 - Splits w/ Elders of the Lima South Mission

Things are going pretty well here. I am now the Zone Leader of the CCM (MTC). Pretty cool. Took away most of the very limited free time I had, but it's just fine.

It is going well, we went door to door in the Lima South Mission on splits with the Elders already out there. Great stuff. And the spanish is coming along, feels like we're coming to a language platuea, however.  I went with one of the Zone leaders from Lima south teaching less active members. You would've thought they were non members, but it went well. Lots and lots and lots of dogs all over the place, kinda crazy. But thankfully I could understand almost all of the lessons and could get points across.

My friend from high school is struggling. Last night I had to give him a blessing. He wants to come home, but he doesn't want to at the same time. 3 Kids from his district already went home. Dropping
like flies.

I love you all and can't wait to talk to you next week. Have a great week!