Another week in the mission. Over all, I would like you to know that I grew about 10 times closer to Christ in these past few days. This week was quite the struggle, but I know without a doubt that it is all worth it.
The Cook family sent me out a package. Holy incredibly kind. I am forever grateful for the good friends that I have always had and for the parents that knew how to raise them. Anyways, they sent a bunch of yummy cookies and I am loving it because nobody bakes in Ecuador. I finally got a letter from Levi, also. His mom also sent a little note and a couple of pictures of Levi and I in the MTC. Wow my friends are so cool. The Garrabrant`s also got another letter out ad everything just came at the right moment. I was really in need of some encouragement from those I love.
So this past week was quite the bumpy ride. We are still able to teach a lot of lessons, but people`s hearts are very hardened to receive new light and knowledge in their lives. I just want to yell it in their ears until they understand the way the spirit can help them in their lives and teach them what they must do. Not a ton of people have been able or willing to progress in the gospel these past few days, but I know our Heavenly Father still has something in store for us, and I am more than willing to keep searching for that something. There are still people who listen to us and accept the teachings and we will continue to help them through the challenges of their lives through the power of the restored gospel.
I don`t know if I have told you these funny stories yet--the old guys here are pretty crazy sometimes haha. We once invited this guy to be baptized and he responded, "Dios me bautizò" (God baptized me). He was way confused and we did our best to help him out. A different old guy started talking to us about how aliens came and took him away one time and he has these paintings of UFO´s on the walls of his house. The funny thing is that he had already accepted the book of mormon as the word of God and Joseph Smith as His chosen prophet. A different guy started reading a few verses in Matthew and came across the word Raca, which is a name. He read it as Roca--meaning rock in English. Then he started saying that I was a rock and just so strange. Haha, the confusion has really gotten deep in these old guys.
Well, this week a lot of people have been out of town or out on the town--nobody stays home for more than two seconds!!! Mostly because it is the last week of their School Vacations. But we shared a lot of great experiences and I`ll just share a quick one. So it was fast and testimony meeting. First Josè Orellana, who recently has made a ton of changes in his life to be able to come back to church and has gotten married and is super stoked to be sealed to his family in the coming months, bore his testimony. Way powerful. The his wife, Marlene, bore her testimony. She is the sweetest and most sincere little person this world has every seen. Then the Branch President`s wife, Consuelo Llaguno, bore her testimony. Practically the most powerful testimony I have ever heard. The power of the spirit in her heartfelt testimony of Jesus Christ just nailed me. Then to top it all off we sang "I know that my Redeemer lives" at the end. I could not get the words out of my mouth. I absolutely broke down in complete joy and peace and comfort and happiness and every good feeling that there is in this world. After 8 months of just really pushing and pulling and doing everything you can to help someone get baptized, it isn`t way easy to always remember why we do it. Jesus Christ is why. I am his representative and too often we lose track of the importance of our calling. Well I found it again and I am energized for the next year and a half of my life.
Oh how I love my Savior. I love you all back at home and I am overjoyed to know that you are all doing well--including the three new additions.
Keep up the great work
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