Buenos Dias!

Hey everyone! How is everyone doing?? I hope all is well! Everything is going good down here, it has been a big week, sort of. On Thursday we flew to Guayaquil which is where the temple is and did bapstims there. It was so great I absolutely loved it. Then we went to a mall to eat lunch and it felt like I was in America again. It was really nice haha. After that we went to a Iguana park with hundreds of Iguanas just roming everywhere! It was so weird, we could touch them and pick them up and everything. I need to put more pictures on facebook. I have a ton to upload. Yeah anyway, the park was way fun, we had a huge crowd watching us because we were taking pictures of us kissing the Iguanas. I guess they thought that was kind of weird lol which it probably is. But it was fun. After that we walked up to a lighthouse which was absolutely amazing!!! Gosh... I cant even describe how amazing it was. I loved it! The weather there was insane. Its along the coastline so it is SOOOOO humid. I could barely breath. By the time we were done for the day I was dripping, yes DRENTCHED in sweat. But it was worth it. We flew home that very day too. It was a great experience. I also got to take some of the kids to a museum this week and they loved that. They never get to go anywhere, its so sad. Lets see... this week I also found out that Im HML mom, which is the mom over the orphanage of the girl from the ages of about 6 to 18. They are so much fun! Im really excited about it because I still get to go to the other sites too since we only go to HML on Monday and Thursday nights. Im really excited to be the mom there. I may need some fun ideas to do with them you young women leaders!! Let me know if you have any ideas!! Im also the activity director for the girls that I live with and that should be really fun as well!! Ive nearly been here a month! I can hardly believe it time goes by so fast here when youre so into the work. I got to go to church today and I was very glad for that. I felt the spirit really strong there. Its so weird going to a church with maybe 50 people there, no piano player, and 2 priesthood holders passing the sacrament. Guys, I am so grateful for what I have. I am so blessed. I do love the gospel so much. Not much else is happening... uuuumm... this week I get to go to Canopy which is a zipline in the jungle and Im SO stoked about that. Then the next week the old girls will be leaving and we get new girls that come! So weird... Every night down here is literally an adventure. Something crazy always happens I swear. Not bad things just adventurous stuff that would never happen if I were at home. I love it!! Its so much fun. I am literally falling in love with the kids here. Especially the handicap kids. I dont know why but I absolutely love them to death! They have such an amazing spirit about them... I just love it. Every day is a challenge but every minute is worth it. Its getting easier though. It was rough there for awhile but I just cant picture my life any different. I hope all is well at home. You guys are amazing and I love you so much. Remember how blessed you truly are... because its so true. Until next time! Dont forget to look at my pictures on facebook!!!

Flees flees and more flees!

Hello my fellow Americans,

Hope everything is going well with you all!! Cant believe its going on 3 weeks down here. The times flying! So I went to Inga Pirca and it was GREAT! Not just because I had a day off but because It was absolutely gorgeous there and so cool! The drive up was amazing... We were about 10,000 ft above sea level. The view was absolutely breath taking. It was neat to learn so much history as well! And our tour guide was cuuute... slash smelt really good (you can tell I miss guys) haha so today is Sunday. Love them. Its a bit harder down here on Sundays because you have to work.. I didnt get to go to church today either but its all good! I still find ways to feel the spirit, like take the kids for walks and listen to church music and read my scriptures on the balcony that overlooks Cuenca, and is the most beautiful view I have ever seen. Im in love with it. I still continue to love it down here but its so super hard. The days just drain me. Today I fell asleep on the table where we do our activities with the handicap kids and one of them threw a pencil or something at me and I jumped ha it made them all laugh. They are amazing. I love to see them smile. This week Im going to Guayaquil this week!! We actually fly there and back in one day. We are going to the temple! I cant WAIT! Ill update you all on that one as well!

Hey everyone!!

So today I had the opportunity to go to HML ladies to paint their nails and talk to them and feed the people in the hospital wing. It was just an amazing experience. I wanted to cry! They are so so sweet and just love and kiss you every second... oh I love them. I hope everyone is looking at my pictures on FB!!

I got tons of bug bites today because I played in the sandbox with the little kids... not to smart to wear flip flops here all the time!! My feet and legs always itch! Today I went with a few other girls to the cutest ice cream slash dessert shop I have ever seen!! Got the best milkshake... mmmmm... The food here is so good, I definitely dont have to worry about going hungry! Pretty sure I have gained weight... NOT good. The bread here is devine. haha

Tomorrow Im going to Inga Perca on a field trip with all the girls! I cant WAIT. Definitely will love the day off haha Every day is still really hard... I love it though. Cant believe I have been here for two weeks. I hope everyone is doing great!! Feel free to email me anytime! aubd123@gmail.com I love you!

So.. here I am in Ecuador, still doesnt seem real. But I love it! Last week I got a bit homesick but not much. Im still just adjusting to this new world. Its sooo different than anything I have experienced. Its HARD work. I feel like I was a bit naive to how hard it was going to be but in the end its all worth it. I rely on the lord every minute of every day... and it is sure making me stronger. Im falling more and more in love with the kids every day. Yesterday I had a moment where I was taking one of the handicap girls, Lucy, for a walk. While I was walking with her and listening to some uplifting church music on the sabbath, the spirit just hit me like a ton of bricks. I just realized that I am really here to help these people and kids and they have such a spirit about them. I love them so much and I cant wait to get to know each one more and more. I know it will be hard to leave this place but while it lasts I will make every minute count.

Ill tell you a little bit about what I do every day. I wake up at 615 and a bus comes and picks us up at 7am. The bus ride is about 15 to 20 minutes so we have a bit of time to wake up and prepare ourself for the day ahead. There are different orphanages we go to each day. I go a lot to a toddler orphanage which is ran by Catholic nuns and workers that speak only spanish, very difficult. They are from 5 months ish to 2 years. There are about 12 of them there. We moslty help with the 2 year olds. We feed them and change their clothes and diapers (cloth) yes very weird to me, and feed and brush their teeth, stuff like that. And of course play with them lots! We do get in trouble from cuddling with them too much which kind of is annoying because I just love them so much haha. Then we work at the same place with the kids from about 3 to 6. They are crazy. And I mean CRAZY! But again, I am falling in love with them...
The other orphanages are the 2 handicap ones and another toddler one which are all ran by OSSO, and LDS members live there and help keep everything running smoothly. Again, they all speak spanish which is really hard to connect with them. I really wish I could but its ok. We still communicate farely well and the kids actually understand a lot of english because of all the volunteers.
The other orphanage we go to is called HML which is an all girl orphanage from the ages of 6 ish to 18 when they can go out on their own. I have never felt so loved in my life than when you step through those doors there. The girls ADORE us they just absolutely love us and hang on us and hug us. You can tell they just desire love so much. They are amazing, beautiful girls. These are girls that come from abusive homes and drug addicted parents.... We have an activiy with them twice a week.
I work basically every day from 7 to 12, come home for a break and lunch until 2 then work from 2-6 and twice a week from 630-730. Its TIRING. But you feel satisfied after every day.
Culture shock is still there of course. They do things completely different from us! Here are a list of some things that I have noticed they do that I have never seen before in the states:

Dont have a speed limit
Honk for NO reason whatsoever, every minute
Never wear seatbelts
Kids riding on motorcycles
Wash in rain gutters
Sing kareoke at 4 in the morning, drunk, SO LOUD, right outside our window
Layer clothing upon clothing on children even when its 80 degrees outside
eat rice for EVERY meal
Never flush their toilet paper
Taxi rides for 1.50
and much much more....

Hey everyone! Mostly my family, checkout my pictures on Facebook! They arent working really well on here so I just put them on there. I love it here still even though every day is a new challenge. It´s hard... but in the end, it´s all worth it. I love you guys...

Every day Im going to try and post the highlight of my day, or a small event that really impacted me and made me realize why I am down here. Just event that make me happy.

Todays event(s)- A smile from Blanca. I took her on a walk and she was so happy. I just love seeing her smile.

Second event- Laura giving me kisses. Oh how I love that little girl SO much.

Third event- Making Martin and Christian super heroes. They looked awesome and they loved it.

Im HERE!

Hey everyone!!! Oh man how is everyone doing?! Well Im just down here chillin in Ecuador!!! sooooo weird. But I LOVE IT!! Thus far. The city Im in is Cuenca and it is GORGEOUS. Oh I am absolutely in love with it. Im in love with the kids, I could go on and on about them forever. I work at different orphanages everyday so I havent spent a ton of time with each of them but being with them for 5 hours a day, you bond with them and trust me, I have. Oh I absolutely adore them. I cant wait to get pictures of my cuna and casa kids, we only get one picture day every other week with them but mine is this week so I will have some soon!! For now, I have pictures of the kids from the handicap orphanage. They are so sweet and you can just tell the vale is so thin between them and our Heavenly Father. The weather is gorgeous today, I was in the sun for like ten minutes and my arms got fried! The girls I live with are so so sweet. I love all of them. There are currently 16 of us living together. They are amazing girls. Goodness I could go on and on, Ill update more for sure later though! I love you all!!!