A Normal P-Day, and Some Pictures, Finally!!!

Hola Familia, 

I am very happy today to have a normal pday!!! I am so grateful to hear from you guys and all that is going on there at home. Sounds like you had a pretty great week full of many exciting things. This week we had a pretty exciting week as well because we had a Zone Conference with President Torres. It was a pretty great conference. He took all the missionaries to a museum here in Loja. It was pretty awesome. We then had the asistents with us during the week. It was pretty fun they stayed with us in our house. It was a pretty busy week. We did not have much time to work in our sector but this week I know that it willl be better. THis week we are super excited to be able to help the zone improve and to improve our sector. We now have a new Branch president who is super awesome. I am so grateful for that. As for why I have had so many different companions I am not completely sure. All of the reasons were because they were needed in other parts. But it is all good. Don´t worry I have not had fights with companions or anything like that just weird changes I guess. But I am enjoying my new companion. From Mexico is pretty awesome. The city of Loja is pretty awesome. I am so grateful to be here. I am so grateful for the great people of this city. This week we are going to have a bunch of success. Well I hope all is well there in SLC. I am so sad to hear about the Ponds babies. THanks for giving them your love. Well it is pretty crazy that Spencer is now home. It is kind of weird. Well I love you all so much. I hope you all have a wonderful wonderful week.!!
 

Love, Elder Duzett



With Elder Castro Making tuna sandwiches in the back of the bus.



A Rainbow from his apartment

The mountains of Zamora

The Bridge in Zamora

Crossing a bridge in Zamora

A Tarantula outside his apartment, eso!!

All from a museum in Loja that President Torres took them to.

All the missionaries in Loja that arrived March 12

2 Crazy Weeks!!

Here is Ben's email from July 13th:

Hola Familia, Wow you have all had a pretty busy week. Wow Dad that is crazy. Obispo! Don´t worry Dad you will be great. Well Dad you are more than prepared. I am so glad that everyone is back home safe and sound. Well Ali basically is home safe and sound because she is Ecuador. Well today was pretty crazy because we had to change houses because the landlord wanted to sell the house. We changed house all day and it was pretty tiring. Well because we were changing house all Day I don´t have much time to write. Sorry hopefully next week I will be able to have a normal Pday to be able to write more and to send some pics. Well this week was pretty crazy. We are still looking to have more success but I am so happy to be here in Loja en la rama Jipiro. Well sorry I don´t have time to write more but I hope you all have a wonderful week. Good luck to everyone this week. I will be praying for all of you. I will be praying for you on Sunday Dad!! Well I love you all so much and your great example that you all have been to me throughout my life. Have a wonderful week.
Con mucho Amor Elder Duzett

Just When I thought we couldn't get a shorter email, here is the one from this week (July 20th):

Hola Familia, It has been another crazy pday. My companion got transfered so I just got back from Guayaquil to pick up my new companion. My new companion is Elder Sanchez from Mexico. He is pretty awesome. Well I don`t have any time left to write but I love you all and give Spencer I giant hug from me I wanted to write him but I have not had anytime the last 5 pdays but it is all good! I love you all and hope you all have a great great week.
Con Mucho Amor Elder Duzett

Here is some bonus news from Ecuador. Ali has been in Ecuador on a HEFY trip building an orphanage in Cuenca. Here is some of what she said:
Hola Family!!
 How are you all doing? I am doing wonderful here in Ecuador! I love it here! All of the kids in my group are really nice!the Galapogos was one of the most amazing places that I have ever been to. I swam with sharks and sea lions. I also went cliff jumping in this slot canyon it was so much fun. I also bumped into Elder Condori, he was really sweet. He has such a strong spirit. The whole time we talked he wouldn´t stop saying "I´m so happy! I´m so happy!" He said to ask how all you guys were doing and to say hi. I talked to Ben´s last companion for like a second because I was playing soccer and everyone that knows him loves him. Our tour guide David is from Azogues and he said that Elder Duzett is his friend! Church here is really great. I have no idea what anybody is saying but you can feel the spirit very strong. For family night we went to a family´s house that was from the states and they fed us American brownies and they were so good! The food here is actually really good except for when it makes you sick! The work has been going really good! We get to volenteer in the orphanage every other day for half of the day. All the kids have special needs or they have a sibling there with speacial needs so they don´t split up families. This one orphan named Manuel with down syndrome loves me so much. Everytime he sees me he comes and gives me a big hug and he wants to play with me. It is nice because he can´t talk and I can´t speak spanish so we just laugh and have the greatest time. The orphans have the stongest spirit and you can´t stop smiling when you are around them. I know that they are all going to the celestial kingdom and they are choice spirits. The orphanage is actually an LDS orphanage and they all love the prophet and their favorite song is follow the prophet. The work on the new housing facilities is slowly moving along. For most of the week I have been mixing cement and chiseling into the brick so they can put pipes to run wiring through for light switches. I have never been so grateful for light switches and outlet plugs in my life. The work is really hard power tools do not exisit. All the work that is done is done by hand except for the welding. It is a little scary because every single nail that we have used has been a rusty old nail that we have pried out of old boards. The workers are really nice and patient with us when we don´t do something right. I am actually enjoying the work and I have never worked so hard in my life. When I come back from work I literally get brick out of my ears, nose, clothes, hair, you name it there is chunks of brick in there. I cannot wait to come home and have a warm shower. If you get a warm shower you are lucky and I haven´t had one yet. Being on this trip has made me so grateful for all the little things that I take for granted. We kind of scare people when we are walking down the street. Suddenly they see a sea of white people and they kind of get really freaked out and it is super funny! Too much has happened to fit in this one email. This has been an awesome expirience so far and I definately have had to face my fear of stray dogs! Have a good week I will see you guys at the airport! Ciao, Ali

Here is a picture of Ali and Elder Condori:

Just a quick note!!!

 

Hola Familia!! Sounds like you are going to have a crazy crazy week!! Ali everything is going to go great!! Don´t worry you beat me to Galapagos!! I have another new companion!! Pretty crazy!! I don´t know why but it is all good. My new companion is Elder Castro de Quito Ecuador. He was in Galapagos por 4 meses and he says it is so awesome. You are going to love it Ali!! Cuenca is awesome!! Just stay with the Group!! Well I don´t have much time to write because today we had leadership council here in Guayaquil. We had to travel 9 hours in bus and our bus back leaves soon!! Well I hope you all are doing amazing!! I will be praying for you all this week that all will go well. Next week I will write more!!! If you can pray this week for Elder Johansen who was in Pasaje with me, he is now in the office so I saw him in consejo and he told me that his Dad is in bad health. Thank you so much. He is pretty awesome but he needs the prayers. Well I love you all so much!! Thank you all for your love and support!! Tenga una semana buenísimo!!! Les Amo

 

Elder Duzett

y felicitaciones a Emily y Brent por su nuevo Bebé!!!!! 

Off to Loja!!

Hola Familia!!!

This week once again is filled with news!! I got transfered!! I am now in the Zone Loja Este (east)!! My new companion is Elder Herrera from Colombia. He is pretty cool. We got here on the mission the same day. I just have a little more time than him because of the C.C.M!! I am super happy to be here in Loja. I am in the Jipiro Branch. It is a super small branch that needs help which means there is a lot of work to do. I am very happy about that and the opurtunity that I have to work here in this branch. I don`t know why I had changes so quick but I thinks I was with Elder Westover for a week just to show him the sector before I got changed but it is all good. Tuesday we had district meeting but President Torres was not able to come but it was all good. Loja is such and amazing place. It is even a lot more beautiful than Cuenca!! It is so awesome. It is a small valley with beautiful mountains!! I am very happy here it is very peaceful which I am so happy about to work with peace!!! I hope to be able to help this Zone more than the last one! I feel like I could not accomlish what I wanted in the last zone but I know that everything happens for a reason!! I know that Heavenly Father has his purposes for everything that happens here in this world, especially in the mission! I will do my best to be better everyday and to be a better missionary to be able to meet my goals! It was definately a crazy week as I had changes on thursday which was really diferent. Almost all of the Zone Leaders got changed around, kind of crazy. Today was a diferent Pday because we had to help the hermanas in our zone move houses. It was pretty fun but after lifting we are a bit tired now but it is all good. It was good to get the excercise. Well it sounds like all is going good at home. I am so excited for Ali to get to come and see the cierrra de Ecuador!! It is so awesome. I hope that all goes well with all that is going on there!! I love you all so much!! I am so grateful for your prayers and support, I feel them!! Thank you so much!

Con Mucho Amor

Elder Duzett

P.S.  Loja is in the far south of Ecuador!!

Here is a bonus picture from another missionary's blog!! Thanks Elder McCammon!!