Walking and Knocking

Hey everybody!
Well things here in Gabriela are chugging along. Its difficult though. We dont have any investigators and the ward is very small, so its out in the streets and knocking. I feel like a pioneer in a sense. Little missionaries knocked as they walked and walked and walked and walked aaaand walked. Its hard work but somebody has to do it and I feel like I am taking a lot out of it as well. The difficulty always has rewards. I feel very blessed to be able to be here in a time where I can grow up with my investigators.
Being a zone leader has been a lot different than I thought it would be. I really dont feel like its a whole lot different from being anywhere else. I feel just like a normal missionary, but for some reason everyone thinks that you know what to do. I feel like I am just doing what I need to do to stay under the radar, but for some reason, there are always people who need our help.
I have four months left in the mission. I am officialy old. I really hope to just keep going and push through as hard as I can for this last stride of the mission. Thanks for everything that you guys are doing for me!
les amo!
Elder Westover

Changing...for Better or Worse

Hey Everybody!
The mission is a cruel thing sometimes. You can be so caught up with being in one place that you forget that your world is bigger than just your sector. That is what happened to me in Tocornal. Yesterday we had changes, and Elder Bowen, Elder Chapman, and I all left. We got the call when we were in Omar and Veronica's house. When I walked in the kitchen and saw the 8 year old daughter Fran crying, I was slightly angry that God would separate us like this, especially someone as loving as Fran. It hurt me a lot. Veronica was also in tears, as well as Omar. We were also a little bit leaky eyed leaving them. It made me realize how much I had grown there in Tocornal.
But change always comes to hit you smack in the side of the face. I have been changed back into my old zone, Gabriela. But this time, I got put in charge. I am in the sector Gabriela as the zone leader with Elder Welling, a super cool guy who seems like a great match for me. Its not exactly what I was expecting, but you take what life hands you I guess. I am very excited but kind of nervous I guess. I haven't really been in any kind of leadership position until now. I am really going to miss my old sector though. It was like ripping out part of my heart. That little plot of land in Puente Alto in Santiago Chile is a little piece of Zion for me. I don't know how I am going to make it, but Im sure the Lord has something in mind for me here in Gabriela.
Well, its time to get crackin! thanks for your support and everything that you've done for me! I love you guys!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover

Bugs and Missionaries

Hey Everybody!
Things here in Tocornal have been going great! I guess the biggest news that we have is that of our missionary, Pamara, who is going to the northern part of Peru. Its basically jungle. She is very excited to go and we are all very proud of her and for everything that she has done for us. The other cool thing that is going are our little mini missionaries. Two young men from our ward has come out with us for the whole week this week. Its been an awesome experience! I love seeing how they are growing as they come with us to visit all the people here.
The other cool thing that has happened is our trip to the rio clarillo today. We started out just going to see a river but instead uncovered a lot more. It first started out as the fact that we are still little boys at heart that would love nothing more than to just poke at bugs with sticks. The second was that right when we entered by the place, there were about a million lizards running around. We unfruitfully chased them down for about half an hour until one rock we tried to uncover to scare out the lizard had another occupant: a tarantula. We squealed for joy and immediately looked for something to put it in. This event happened again and again until one rock, we found who we now call Shelob. We turned over a rock and found a tarantula about the size of my hand with hundreds of tiny little newborn babies. It was gross. So we caught it. It is now in our pension and I have photos uploaded to my Walgreens account with me holding it. Its actually really laid back. Even though I dont like spiders, its pretty cool.
In all, we collected about four tarantulas, two scorpions,and one frog; but not one lizard. aww...
I hope you all had just as an exciting a week as we did. Haha, take care everybody!
Con Amor,
Elder Westover

Missionary Helps Out Mission

Hey everybody!
Everything is going pretty well here; we are just waiting for the heat to cool off. The rest of you guys are probably expecting the exact opposite. Things are going pretty well in the sector, but we really are running out of people to teach. I feel like at this point Elder Chapman and I are just basking in our success and watching each of our converts stroll into the church each sunday. I think its time that I leave the sector. I feel like I am getting too involved in the sector and its becoming too much like I really do live here and less like I am just a gringo with a plaque and tie. Not to say that thats bad, but I just feel like its my time to go.
I guess the big news that going on right now is that Pamara, one of our good friends in the ward, is going on a mission. She had a LOT of obstacles to go out on the mission, and it was a really hard process for all of us to get through, but she is finally recvieving her call today. We are going to find out where she is going tonight. I am so happy for her right now, I feel like it is worth three or four baptisms to me, but I know in the end, it will be worth much much more.
In the end, theres not a whole lot to say. Things are going really great and I love being with my comp, despite all the differences that we may have. Its a great time to be a missionary!
Love,
Elder Westover

PS- just so I have a I told you so, I call the next big earthquake in chile! Apparently we are going to have another big one sometime soon! Get ready, chile!