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Monday, October 27, 2014

Praying For Miracles

I loved this week! I really really did, because I think it was around Monday evening that I prayed and asked God to send someone who had already attended church more than three times, and who was completely ready to accept the church and become a member, because I wanted us to find someone who would progress, who we could teach, and I wanted Hermana Lagos to have one last baptism before she left, too. The Monday before, Hermana Lopez wanted to use a "two sunscreens at 100 SPF for $36" deal that she found, and she asked me to jump in and buy with her, since I needed sunscreen. And really, this deal is actually rather good here, where sunscreen costs an arm and a leg. So we ordered the sunscreens from a family in the ward and returned the next week on Tuesday to pick them up. While paying for them at the house of the Family Rivera, the boyfriend of their oldest daughter, Gabi, walked in, and he and Hermana Lagos started talking while we were buying. As it turned out, he had assisted the church for a while, because he and Gabi have been serious about their relationship for a while. We asked to meet with him, and he said yes. We met with Eduardo the following day, and taught the restauracion, and he commited to learning more and praying to know if the church was actually true. He had been following the law of chastity and the word of wisdom, and had been taught a bit before by other missionaries, but he never commited to baptism because of work. We didn't feel it the right time to ask him to baptism that day. The next day, however, we had a companion exchange. Hermana Lopez and I returned to teach Eduardo, and we taught the gospel of Jesus Christ pamphlet, and when we taught about baptism, I asked him if he would like to be baptised on Nov.2. He told us that, yes, he´d like to, but he was still waiting for his work to call him out to the field. It´s a long way away, and he told us that if he didn't have work, that, yes, he would like to be baptized. We finished the lesson, and returned home to end the companion exchange. The next day, Hermana Lagos and I taught again, but this time, we went over the baptism requirements with him. He was completely ready, and believed in the gospel and everything! It was so great! I was right in the middle of getting really excited for Nov.2, when Hna. Lagos asked him if he would be alright with baptising the next day. And he told us, yes, yes he would. The next day was a bit of a scramble for us, but Eduardo was interviewed and everything, and then baptised a few hours later. He and Gabi and the whole Rivera family were so happy, and so were we! I bear testimony that our Heavenly Father always answers our prayers, if we pray with real intent and with faith, doing all we can before. He will always, always answer us, and I know that He answered my Monday prayer this Saturday and Sunday, at the baptism and confirmation of Eduardo. I know He loves us, and I know He always wants to bless us when we follow His instructions and commandments, always trusting in Him. And I am so grateful that we have Him just a prayer away. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. P.S. Yes! In Ecuador, or at least Guayaquil, everyone dresses up and goes to the mall! They give free candy out at the stores, and toys too! It´s great! The kids don´t really walk around anywhere else, though, because the houses and people here are a bit standoffish about people knocking on their doors. But there´s parties and stuff like that too, so everyone loves it. [Av explaining Halloween traditions]

Monday, October 20, 2014

We don´t have a bunch of investigators at the moment, but the ones we do have are doing great!!! Consuelo accepted a baptism date for Nov 15, and we are working with some completely inactive people. We sang at a baptism for a little girl who was being baptized, too. Everyone wants the missionaries to sing at their baptisms now. There were about ten people in the classes the other Wednesday! And I understand Spanish completely and can answer relatively well if I listen.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Continuing to Teach and Learn

This week we had another baptism! Karla Carbajal is seventeen years old and an amazing young woman. She is so happy to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and she has said she feels like she belongs here. It´s so great, becaus eher mom was completely inactive, and now is supporting her daughter and completely inactive. They found her missionaries through facebook, too! It was really awesome. Gregorio was ordained a priest this sunday, and recieved the priesthood! Next week he will be able to bless and pass the sacrament! I´m so happy we found him, he is awesome and super faithful! He´s already a really faithful member. He needs more friends in the church though, because he only knows Estelita, the Bishop Chacón, and the ward mission leader, Brother Walter Olaya. We´re working on that. This week, we taught at the house of a man named Antoni. His mother´s name is Blanca, and they are both very good people.They went to church with us this Sunday! The story of how we met him is really interesting. Hna.Lagos and I were walking down Guayacanes (part of our sector), and we passed by Antoni. We walked a little further up the sidewalk, about twenty feet from him, when we both had a very strong, distinct feeling that we needed to return and talk with him. It startled us really, but we knew it was the spirit, so we stopped immediately, affirmed that we both felt it, and waited for him to catch up to us so we could talk to him. It was just a liiiiittle bit awkward, but we couldn´t deny such a strong prompting. When he caught up to us, we asked him to show us the way to an address, and then we started to get to know him as he walked us up to it. It was really weird, because he lived only a few houses away from it. When we asked if we could pass by and visit, he told us we could and gave us his address and phone number. I think this is really important, because we passed by the day before yesterday, and talked with him, his children, his aunt, and his mother. The family is so important to them, and appartently his other aunt, who passed away about two years ago, was also LDS. We talked about the family, and how they can be together forever, even after death, and gave them a Book of Mormon. That was really special to the aunt, because her sister had one too, and since her niece got everything after her mom died, it was like the aunt had a little something that reminded her of her sister again. It was really nice, and they´re excited to go to church! Oh! Also, I´m going to be teaching English to Antoni´s children. We also taught to another family, Consuelo and Jennifer. We need to teach them a bit more, but they went to church this sunday and are really amazing people! Jennifer is an artist, and also is very interested in learning English, so I´ll be teaching her too. She drew a picture of me while I taught her a bit! I can´t upload it today, because this computer doesn't have a drive to upload pictures, but next week I will. I´m really excited to teach them more! Well, that´s practically it. We continue to teach and help, and have the english classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The rainy season has started, and the humidity is awful. Hnas. Lagos, Ocon, Lopez, and I went running the other day, and I felt like I was drowning instead of breathing. But other than that, I love it here! I miss you all, and send my support and love, and I pray for you all every day! I love you! ¡Les quiero muchísimo!!! ¡Tengan una buena semana!!! Love, Hermana Johnson

Progress and Karla

This week we had another baptism! Karla Carbajal is seventeen years old and an amazing young woman. She is so happy to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and she has said she feels like she belongs here. It´s so great, because her mom was completely inactive, and now is supporting her daughter and completely inactive. They found her missionaries through facebook, too! It was really awesome. Gregorio was ordained a priest this sunday, and received the priesthood! Next week he will be able to bless and pass the sacrament! I´m so happy we found him, he is awesome and super faithful! He´s already a really faithful member. He needs more friends in the church though, because he only knows Estelita, the Bishop Chacón, and the ward mission leader, Brother Walter Olaya. We´re working on that. This week, we taught at the house of a man named Antoni. His mother´s name is Blanca, and they are both very good people.They went to church with us this Sunday! The story of how we met him is really interesting. Hna.Lagos and I were walking down Guayacanes (part of our sector), and we passed by Antoni. We walked a little further up the sidewalk, about twenty feet from him, when we both had a very strong, distinct feeling that we needed to return and talk with him. It startled us really, but we knew it was the spirit, so we stopped immediately, affirmed that we both felt it, and waited for him to catch up to us so we could talk to him. It was just a liiiiittle bit awkward, but we couldn´t deny such a strong prompting. When he caught up to us, we asked him to show us the way to an address, and then we started to get to know him as he walked us up to it. It was really weird, because he lived only a few houses away from it. When we asked if we could pass by and visit, he told us we could and gave us his address and phone number. I think this is really important, because we passed by the day before yesterday, and talked with him, his children, his aunt, and his mother. The family is so important to them, and apparently his other aunt, who passed away about two years ago, was also LDS. We talked about the family, and how they can be together forever, even after death, and gave them a Book of Mormon. That was really special to the aunt, because her sister had one too, and since her niece got everything after her mom died, it was like the aunt had a little something that reminded her of her sister again. It was really nice, and they´re excited to go to church! Oh! Also, I´m going to be teaching English to Antoni´s children. We also taught to another family, Consuelo and Jennifer. We need to teach them a bit more, but they went to church this sunday and are really amazing people! Jennifer is an artist, and also is very interested in learning English, so I´ll be teaching her too. She drew a picture of me while I taught her a bit! I can´t upload it today, because this computer doesn't have a drive to upload pictures, but next week I will. I´m really excited to teach them more! Well, that´s practically it. We continue to teach and help, and have the english classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The rainy season has started, and the humidity is awful. Hnas. Lagos, Ocon, Lopez, and I went running the other day, and I felt like I was drowning instead of breathing. But other than that, I love it here! I miss you all, and send my support and love, and I pray for you all every day! I love you! ¡Les quiero muchísimo!!! ¡Tengan una buena semana!!! Love, Hermana Johnson