Good Byes....

As my days dwindle down in Ecuador it´s a very weird mixed feeling kind of ordeal. i am excited to be with my family again, and move on with the next adventures of my life, but also leaving behind ecuador is like closing a book that will never be opened again. i know even if i do come back and visit, it won´t be the same...i will never be "living" in ecuador again. and so as this chapter of my life comes to an end, it´s fun to spend it with all the people who mean alot to me.
on Wednesday Sofi Martinez the primary president and one of my really good friends had a going away party for me at her restaurant. she invited my friends, and people who are very special to me. she made my favorites, like fruit dishes, and empenadas de verde, along with hot chocolate. it was so fun, and sofi is such a sweet heart!
i hope to meet up with sofi in the states this summer, both of her children are at BYU and she is trying to make it up to visit them, it would be fun to see her and have my family meet her.
sofi is one of the kindest most amazing people i will ever meet, and i am blessed and lucky that i have her as a friend in my life!

Another surprise came when my friend Lina called and asked me to meet her at the institute building at 6:00 on friday night. i assumed i was just meeting her and her husband Miguel, who are very good friends of mine from my ward also. well when i got to the institute building all of the single adults were there and they had surprised me with a going away party. they had chocolate covered strawberries, and carrot cake, and lots of other yummy foods. then Miguel had a little talk planned about how we all need to strive to always further our education. it was really sweet.

i guess you really don´t realize how much you love people, or how much of a difference they´ve made in your life until you are leaving them...but my friends here in Ecuador will always be in my heart!