Week 34! "Week of Enlightening!"

From 9/22/14

I have been studying recently my Patriarchal Blessing and missionary setting-apart blessing, along with the letters Dad and Mom wrote about it afterward. Wednesday I cumplear-ed 8 years of receiving my Patriarchal Blessing. And, leading up to studying it, the general conference talks and other little things I`ve read have all been based around ancestors -- temple work, family history, and the work beyond the veil in general. And, upon reading my blessing again and thinking about my experiences in preparing for a mission...I realized that...I probably could have qualified for serving in some other part of the world. But, because of our experiences in me serving here, I believe now that perhaps my ancestors were the ones to plead with God for me to come here. I still don`t know why. But it`s an impression I might not know all the answers to even while I am serving here on a mission. But, I felt so enlightened. And, I felt it to be true.

Similarly, Ashley has been called, perhaps not just under a prophet of God, to serve in Mexico...but perhaps under the pleas and influence of a swarm of other ancestors...hm I don`t know... It feels more and more this way to me, though.

One night Hna L and I were walking down a street. A regular, normal route we take to get to our main area. As we walked and talked, we came to a bend in the road and we both immediately stopped. We stopped walking, we stopped talking. We just stood there looking down the street. At almost the same time, we both swept our head from side to side and commented that we should not take that road that night. I explained to her, quite casually, "Nope. Something about this road doesn`t seem right." Similarly, but with more conviction, she added, "I feel like we shouldn`t go down this road." So, we stood there.

We knew that going another way would take way too long and would not be practical. But, we also knew that, if the Spirit told us not to go down this street, that we weren`t going to do that either.

Not sure what to do, we just stood there. And waited. I felt that, although something didn`t seem good about going down that road, that we would be okay. So, we started making our way.

At a little, lighted store, Hna L told me to stop. She said her heart was beating faster the further  we made our way down the road, and she could only think to herself, "Why are you still walking?" I explained to her that I felt that something wasn`t right, but that we would be okay. Then, as she looked up at me with her big beautiful eyes, I added, "But, perhaps the reason I feel everything will be fine is because of a prayer that we should say." So we did, and we were super attentive the entire way -- not speaking one word to each other until we were through. I love listening to the voice of the Spirit.

Because, on another occasion this week, we received very specific inspiration in order to help one of our investigators. This inspiration ...I can`t think of a better adjective...ENLIGHTENED our understand, and illuminated our course of action. I wrote about this experience in the email to President this week.

A week of revelation. Personal and companionship revelation. And, why would this week be different than any other? Well, something I realized we`ve been doing (not even intentionally, either), is that we`ve been praying every so often for inspiration and personal-companionship revelation. And then, God gives it to us. He always answers our prayers...even when we don`t realize we have been praying for it more than usual.

Oh!!! By the way. We were attacked by dogs:

We took a little dirt passage way that led to a loooong set of deep dirt stairs, looking for a family we had contacted a couple days before. As we carefully made our way down these steps, I jokingly commented, "I hope we don`t run into a pack of bravo dogs."

As SOON as I finished my sentence, a pack of 5 or 6 dogs came running at us from behind a little wood shack. We whipped out our backpacks and held them out in front of us as shields. I was a couple steps down from Hna L, and there was no option of going anywhere because of the landsliding effect of the steep stairs we were on.

The dogs immediately formed a circle around us and barked furiously from all sides. One launched at Hna L who, with her backpack in front, managed to protect herself from the bite. The dog clenched at the front pocket of her backpack with it`s front teeth for a good few seconds. I noticed, but couldn`t do anything. I was in a crouched, defensive position, glancing from one dog to another, determining which one would be the next to strike.

We were both in defensive stances, eyeing one dog to the next. It felt like we were in a video game!! It was SO COOL!! I immediately thought of Benjamin and how proud of me he would be jejeje. And I thought, "What would Benjamin do?..?" jaja

As suddenly as they came, they all ran around another little shack and disappeared. We cautiously made our way down the rest of the steps, relieved that they were no longer interested in attacking us. Then, to top it off, I heard a little "sloosh!" and turned around to see Hna L sitting on the ground, lost in a cloud of dust and dirt. She had slipped the rest of the way down the steps...jajaja Poor thing. She scraped herself a bit, but ended up being okay.

All that only to find....that the family we had contacted supposedly didn`t even live there o_O ...Okay. Never again. jaja

But anyways, that was a pretty juicy story. Hope ya`ll liked it :P. But, we are all okay. Alive and kicking. And the work of the Lord goes on!!! jaja DAMOS TODO AL SEÑOR! -- (that`s our war-cry). :)

"We have a few people with SO MUCH potential. The big theme lately is the fear these people have in accepting a baptismal date. They want to be baptized if they feel this is true, but will not accept a baptismal date 'just in case.' They are fearful to do so.

We had a family go to church Sunday. The ward welcomed them in so amazingly that, although they initially said they needed to leave early, they decided to stay the last class because they WANTED to be there. It`s so important to be welcoming and friendly at first impression, and to make sure the people have an elevating, edifying experience, like we learned in the conferencia.

Also, in the conferencia para las zonas, I liked that we did several practices. During one of them, Hna L and I experienced something interesting. We did a practice with an investigator in mind, and how we could apply the mission objective (fe, arrepentimiento, bautismo...) with whatever principle we would teach. During the practice, Hna L stopped and looked at me. She exclaimed, 'Wait. That was weird!', and explained that, as she pretended to be our investigator, comments and questions came to her mind that she had never thought of before. We both began chatting, and ideas flowed to our heads in unexplainable ways of how we could help our investigator overcome her fear of accepting a baptismal date.

It was incredible! We realized that we had taught well about what is baptism and it`s importance, but perhaps we overlooked the principles of faith and repentance too quickly. That, perhaps if we could lead her through the process of complete repentance first, then she would feel the DESIRE to be baptized later.

I remembered what Elder Waddell said about this process, and I remembered the story of Alma and the waters of Mormon...how the people exclaimed that they wanted to be baptized in order to be sanctified. We were left enlightened..!"

Love you all! Hope you have a great week1 :)

Hna Fernelius

A frog we found last night!! It`s been raining a ton here lately...seasons changing. So, this little froggie I`m sure is a result of it :)

And, we were left with the ganas to catch a little froggie this morning. We woke up earlier than usual to go frog-hunting, but to no avail. They weren`t croaking or anything, so we couldn`t find them. Next time... jejeje

I just wanted to take a picture to show off my cool beanie. Hna C gave it to me a long time ago but I never wear it. I did today because it`s cold and rainy. And I figured I could show you all my cool wall next to my study desk with pictures of all ya`ll on it. There`s a GIANT picture of Kylie up top, but she got cut off. :)

We have been serving in the same zone for over a cambio now, and JUST found out Tuesday night that Elder "P" was actually trained by Elder Lopez [Tiffany's cousin who was released from the same mission just before she began serving]! jaja So, de ley we had to take a picture Thursday at our zone meeting. jeje The discoveries continue...

We had a conferencia of two zones on Friday. It was SO GOOD. I was inspired and edified with my companion. When you leave the house praying to be inspired...you are.

Encebollado!!!!! We treated ourselves to lunch since our mamita totally abandoned us that day. Encebollado here is so expensive, but we happened to find this little ceviche place that actually had decent prices. We left it full and happy... :)

Week 33! "Tithing Rocks!"

From 9/15/14

Well, this week was great. Hna L and I are working hard. Obviously, there`s room for improvement. But personally, I don`t have any regrets. One thing I like about us is that we naturally look for the blessings of every day. And we honestly want to prove our faith to the world. Even when things don`t turn out like we planned, we feel out what the Lord expects us to glean from it and continue pressing forward.

Remember our recent convert, "J L", and his friend, "A"? They shared a very neat experience with us this week. They have been paying tithing on the very little that they have, and lately have been reaping the promised blessings from it. Why is it that some of the BIGGEST miracle blessings come as a consequence of paying tithing? I don`t know, it just does. Maybe because it`s a very solid commandment.

On Monday, J L and A went to a different ward noche de hogar (FHE) and shared their personal testimony among the group of people there. Afterwards, one lady went up to them and asked, "Do you collect bottles?" They replied that they did...it`s how they make some money. She told them that she had a few bottle at home she could give them. They ended up with 5 giant bags of bottles. They were very grateful, and thought they`d be able to make a good 15 dollars off of it. Not so, my friends.....They sold the bottles and made 40 dollars!! As they shared this experience with us, the miraculousness of the experience filled me. The Lord is so good!!! They experienced this miracle because they earned it. The Lord always keep His promises, and sometimes in very simple, but miraculous ways.

I love the commandments. They are a sure way we will earn blessings. Why take a chance on our own talents and luck when we can count on the Lord to provide for us? That`s my question. Some people are so content with their life that they close off any chance of exerting themselves...and any chance of spiritual progress. Why not exert ourselves? The consequences are unmatchable.

"Buenas tardes Presidente!

This week we no longer have people with fecha currently.

It was so weird this week. We have been putting "family contacting" on the priority list of what we do every day, and have been much more successful with all the practice we`ve had in finding families. We were also able to do a lot of seguimiento and have a handful of people who were super solid. We were so sure that we were going to have a family progressing this Sunday. Sunday, no one came! What? So weird. Once we made a couple phone calls to find out what was going on, we found out some unbelievable things:

1) 'J', a taxista, was making his way to church with his wife, 'Ja', and 4 year old son, when suddenly his car broke down. It was raining, and apparently it made something stop working on his car. When we called, they were in the middle of the street trying to get it fixed and didn`t think they would make it to church.

2) 'F' is the husband of a less active member. He is 18 and so very receptive! During a lesson with him last week, he looked like there was something bothering him, itching from the back of his mind. Then, as we began the lesson, he suddenly spoke up, asking, "Is it okay if I call my mother in here so she can hear, too?" "Of course!" we answered. He asked us to "not forget him" and to keep coming back to teach them the charlas. He wanted to come to church so badly, but when we only saw his wife there, we asked what had happened. She explained to us that that morning F`s cousin fell from the third story terrace (because he was drunk), and F had to make sure he was okay.

WOW. Hna L and I were stunned. What had happened? We don`t even know. But I love Hna L's attitude. We were both disappointed but felt that we should say a prayer and continue with the day. Somehow, we both feel that this is the Lord telling us to 'just wait' and He will bless us with fruits of our labors in due time. I feel that this statement is true. Especially now that we are reading the Book of Mormon and highlighting passages that describe what it means to be diligent, I feel like the insight I`ve received from it is what gives me more conviction to keep working diligently. The story of King Benjamin`s diligence was a huge inspiration of what it looks like to keep working, wait out the trials, and receive peace, a clear conscience, and the fruits at the end.

I love the Book of Mormon! I know this work is not in vain, because it`s all true. And I feel that the blessings are there. Although we can`t see it with our eyes, we can see it with our faith. And I feel confident that the blessings are there, because of our diligence."

Love you all!!! I have to go for now, but P-Day was super good today and I feel good with what I was able to write! :)

Have a great week! :)

Hna Fernelius


Flattened rat. That`s greeeeeat.

I was still hungry after lunch one day so I bought the cheapest but most satisfying thing I could find: a chocolate mini cake and carton of strawberry milk. Hna L is my friend because she accepts me and my inconspicuous ways...What does inconspicuous mean? It just came out...I don`t know if I actually used it right. But anyways, I walked down the street and even rode a bus drinking from this carton of strawberry milk....satisfying :)

Today I got to be a hobo who sat on the front corner of the bus with all my compras (buys). It was a long bumpy ride from Cumbaya (where we had our zone activity). It was great. Did you all notice that my hair is long enough again to do make shift buns and ponytails?! My hair is so good to me. Even when it doesn`t look good.

A part of our sector. Mean dogs live here.

Week 32! "My Week..."

From 9/8/14

Hi family!!

First off, as I was reading Ashley`s email from last week....the whole time I was just kind-of thinking, "uhhhh," because I was on the other end of what happened to her. Ash was one of the two who left the sector, but I was one of the two who came in [to a new area that had suddenly been vacated by two sisters before me]. And I can tell you, I really really appreciated all the work the two sisters before me did. They left the ward and sector better than they had found it, and also left a little piece of paper with explanations of who they had been teaching and where they lived mas o menos. It made the transition for Hna L and me so much easier! So...thank you Ashley for all your hard work!!! There`s definitely a reason that transfer had to be done in that way, and I know the Lord will bless you for it.

This week was....crazy.

Pretty much every day Hna L and I had SOMETHING going on:

Tuesday we had weekly planning. Three hours of hard-core planning which is tiring enough in itself. And a fairly unsuccessful afternoon. Well, it didn`t help that I began falling asleep as I was making a phone call at a cabina. jaja

Wednesday. Division with the hermana leaders. I helped Hna L plan and prepare everything to be in charge in our sector for a day while I spent that day and night in my old sector!!! with Hna M. It was cool to see some old investigators and less actives that I haven`t seen in some time.

Thursday...bright and early...VERIFICACIÒN para los nuevos. Hna L got to go to the Panecillo while I stayed at the chapel. The ONLLLLY hermana amongst all the elderes. I whined a little just in case the President decided he wanted to take me to the Panecillo too :) jejeje. But, President responded saying, "Well, you will get a lot of attention now, won`t you?" What! President? jajaja It was fun though!

When my companion got back, all the "trainers" and "nuevos" did a ton of practices. And Hna L and I did every single one with the only other hermana there...Hna Richardson `,:0 But Hna Richardson is great and the Spirit was helpful. We learned a lot. It was a good experience to be able to participate with confidence. I still remember very clearly when I was in Hna L's shoes and Hna C was training me. Now, I`m the one to speak up more in the meetings and share my own experiences. So, that was cool. Sometimes we don`t see how far we`ve come until we have an opportunity to express and reflect in situations like this. The best part was that President agreed with the two big comments I made, even standing up and adding on to one of them. So, that made me nervous, but also made me feel good knowing that I haven`t been teaching apostasy all this time :P jeje

Friday we had a mini-conference for our zone.

So you see? FULLL reuniones and crazy things going on this week. By the time Friday came around I was just about given up on all the "catching up" we had to do in our own sector. I felt good that we were finally able to have a recent convert in our sector meet with the family history consultant...but it sure took a lot of time out of the day. At night, when we gave the informe of what we were able to accomplish that day, our district leader didn`t seem too happy. wahhhh. But, it`s only because he didn`t understand how hard we had actually worked to accomplished what we HAD done. Still, that response gave me such a drive to accomplish BIG GOALS for the next day jajaj. We have a goal to contact 3 families every day in my zone. So, Hna L and I decided to contact 5. I`ll insert the outcomes of that in the letter I wrote to President.

There are two experiences I would like to share.

First of all, Hna L and I were waiting for the bus at night to go to the church for consejo de barrio. We waited....and waiteeeed. Nada. We were going to be super late! We finally said, "should we pray?" jeje We did, praying for a way we could get to church. Then, from behind us we heard, "Hermanitas!!!" It was "A" (friend who baptized "J L"). It was so out of the blue! After waiting 25 minutes for a bus, he showed up right behind us after the prayer. He informed us that the bus we needed didn`t pass there so late at night, and that he would show us where we should go to take the bus. Why is it that the Lord always has answers to prayers after we ask first? There are so many examples of that in the scriptures.

Also, I decided to make a covenant with the Lord. It`s something I`ve been doing for a few weeks now, but wow. The Lord is so real. We have been covenant people with Him from the beginning, but the power of a covenant means so much more when we make it personal with Him. I will tell you more about this covenant later on, but for now...wow. Covenants are real. We keep our part, and the Lord will always keep His.

Yesterday Hna L and I visited our ward mission leader who had inguinal hernial surgery last Sunday ...(is that what it`s called in English...my therapy friends would be so ashamed...:P). He was apparently very sore and moved to the chair very slowly and carefully in order to sit down. We chatted for a bit. Then we shared a scripture with him. We didn`t plan anything in particular in advance, but I opened my scripture and Alma 11:44 was looking right up at me. "Hno. C, we have a scripture we would like to share with you..." I looked down at the page my scriptures were opened to..."...and it`s about the resurrection." We read the scripture about how our bodies will be restored to their perfect frame, and that not a hair on the head will be lost. Hno C is gracefully balding on the top front of his head, so he and his daughter got a kick out of our "spiritual message." I bore testimony how Hno C will once again have a beautiful, full set of hair... He laughed so hard.

It was funny because of how unplanned it was. But it was perfect jaja. It`s amazing though, after so much practice, that we are able to take any scripture and tie it into the lives of the person we are sharing it with. Every scripture can be applied to the lives of the people, because every scripture ties into a basic gospel truth. So, at the end of it, we tied it in to how we appreciate him and how his service and good works will all be a testament for him "at the last day". If you read the scripture, this would make a lot more sense jaja.

Hna L and I are starting off this day strong. The start of a new cambio! We keep you all in our prayers! Our prayers are so long sometimes before we ever do anything every day and night; because we pray so specifically for our investigators, ward, and loved ones (you!) jeje. I used to get a little desperate to get out and work when our prayers before leaving were so long. But I quickly realized that we are nothing without them. And the best days we`ve had are when we implement frequent and heartfelt prayers to bless our day.

So with this I ask, please continue to keep us in your prayers. It will help us to keep working with diligence and faith, with a perspective to give it our all every day.

"This week we have had quite a few great experiences. For example, Friday Hna L and I spent a LOT of time trying to coordinate and eventually convince a recent convert to have a cita with the ward family historian. She did, but we lost quite some time that day after mini-conferencia de la zona and less time to work in our sector. So, we didn`t contact any families, which is a goal in our zone to contact 3 every day. We felt bad after the informe with our DL. The next day we went out with set determination to contact 5 families! Interestingly enough, the Lord blessed us with EXACTLY 5 families in the streets. If we hadn`t have contacted each one of them, we wouldn`t have met our goal. But it also shows that the Lord will always help us reach our goals if we set our sights on accomplishing them.

Then, a cita at night fell through and we went to a ward baptism of an 8-yr old child. We hadn`t planned on going, but did. And there, as we waited for the ward to arrive to begin, a family of 4 walked in , nicely dressed, and there to support their friends. Hna L and I decided to give them a tour while we waited. The bishop came and joined us for the tour. The C family live in our sector and were very interested in coming to church to learn more. They are planning to come next week!

The Lord blessed us to accomplish our goals, but then also blessed us with a BONUS family. Very receptive, parents married, and who have been 'investigating' various religions to know which is true.

We have continued to have similar experiences and tender mercies of the Lord. I am far from perfect. Some days I feel tired and undetermined. But, I know the Lord wants me to live up to my potential, and He keeps confirming our work with experiences like these. I love the work of the Lord!"

Love you all!! Have a great week!!

Hna Fernelius

Picture of our zone! Last zone conference, before the cambios! :)

We kind of wrote our names in wet cement. Hopefully it will still be there many years from now jejeje. That is, if the lady who came up from behind us didn`t erase it after we left jaja.

"Dr. Fern" and "L"

Today at QuiCentro. It was an accidental destination point on our search to find a Megamaxi. Hna L's boyfriend collects bugs, so we stopped to capture it in a picture so she can send it to him jaja.

[A "business" card Tiffany's dad ordered to give out when people ask about her.  It includes her mailing and blog addresses, and it seems like a good idea because so many friends and family ask about her]

Week 31! "Love and Service...What It's Really All About"

From 9/1/14

Heeeeyyy :)

This week "J L" was baptized. We meshed his baptism with that of a smaller branch´s baptism of an 8-year-old. So the program was full of good speakers and the testimonies of various people.

When we got to the church, the other elders were still in the process of having one of their own investigator´s get baptized. It was about 45 minutes after they were supposed to get started...! But, that´s normal here. Everything starts late. So, as they were finishing their baptism, we were supposed to be getting started. J L and his friend A were already there, watching the end of this baptismal service RIGHT before he was about to be baptized.

Between them, they own one white collared shirt. So A put on the only other white shirt he owned (with a logo on it) and a black jacket on top to try to make it look more formal. A let J L use the nicer collared-shirt and a little tux jacket to cover on top. J L got a nice haircut. They looked so good.

We were searching all morning to find white clothes they could wear to be baptized....nada. We only managed to get one white shirt and one pair of white pants. So, we pulled out what we had. And A and J L were trying to figure out who would get what.

As I watched them converse, they mutually agreed that J L could get baptized in the white shirt he was wearing and that A would just let him wear the black jacket over his bare skin after the ordinance once the white shirt was wet. Wow. These two are so humble. But, it ended up working out. Elder R, I believe, had an extra white shirt he let them borrow. And A brought the whitest jeans he owned, just in case. And he ended up using it in the font because we had nothing else....they were white skinny jeans jajaja.

"A" was so nervous as he led J L into the font. The elders had to correct him a few times of how he should hold his right arm to the square. A looked so nervous! jaja But, he said the ordinance, and J L was baptized.

I stood at the back with Hna L and just tried to soak it all in. No one else in the room knew them as well as we do. Nobody knew how these two have suffered, or how they collect bottles to sell in order to get by. Nobody knew that J L's mom is in jail and he is also supporting her, or that A has been trying to share the gospel with J L for an entire year hoping one day to see him be baptized. Nobody knew the amazing testimony these two guys have of paying a humble tithe...or of how strong the Spirit was when we shared the First Vision of Joseph Smith with J L on the terrace of his one-room house.

I love being a missionary.

J L and A wanted to surprise me and Hna L yesterday when they invited us over to their house after church. They surprised us with a little dinner they had prepared of verde molido, egg, and agua aromatica. We had a mini-noche de hogar.

I can say it´s going to be hard to leave them from this sector when the time comes. Being a part of true conversions is not a light experience, because the eternities feel so real in the process of it.

The ward has been surprising us too. Bishop offered them a small job cleaning his yard. The elders quorum planned a service project to go to a park one Saturday and help these two guys collect bottles. Elder R and his companion opened the church closet yesterday and we looked down to find 3 large bags of bottles that THEY had collected for these two. And Bishop, before J L's baptism, met with and ordained A to the office of a Priest so that he COULD baptize his friend J L....all this without us even knowing.

Taking initiative is so important. I´m pretty sure the first moments and first impressions within the church was a big factor in the conversion of J L. The little details are what makes all the difference.

Also, in other news, Bishop's son returned from his mission on Saturday!!! So, there´s a lot of exciting stuff going on over here.

And....we had divisions so that Hermana Lider (Hna M), could work with Hna L. That entire day I got to spend with Hna W in the outskirts of Quito. It is fuulll campo ["farms"]. Fullll chanchos and vacas [pigs and cows] and land. It was super cool. It was neat to experience another sector for a day. Although I do love my sector. :)

The mission is not always easy, but knowing in whom to trust sure can change that. For example, there was one solid afternoon that I simply did not put any effort into the lessons. I didn´t feel like my "head was in the game" digamos, and I felt a little cold and distanced from the people we were visiting. It didn´t feel good. I didn´t like it but sometimes it´s hard to snap out of it. I feel bad for Hna L because she is very sensitive and it was obviously having an effect on her as well, because I felt very robotic.

So, I prayed in my studies the next morning to be able to read something that would snap me out of it. I opened the Liahona immediately after, to a talk by Elder Richard G Scott of the April Conference:

"Porque ejemplo os he dado."

It talked about exactly what I was looking for...and I guarantee this fresh perspective did exactly what I needed it to do: snap me out of it. Stop being so tired and get to work. But, this time, with the right attitude. This talk is about how Elder Scott was baptized and later became a missionary because his grandma and future wife loved him enough to share their conviction with him. He changed because of love, service, testimony, and simply because they trusted him to make the right decisions.

So I went out that day and had probably one of the best days of the week. What was the difference? I was still tired...I didn´t get any more sleep than usual. But I didn´t feel it. Because I was happy and spoke to the people with the big love I have for each one of them. It changed everything! And...it felt good.

I love each one of you. I love knowing that God always keeps His promises. 

I ran across an Elder at the mission offices today and, as Hna L and I were walking out, he smiled up at us and said, "Thank you for helping me." We were like, "Huh?" We had no idea what he was talking about! jaja But he responded, "You both helped me this week." What? I don´t know how...so that´s what I said back, "What are you talking about? We didn´t do anything!" He smiled again and said, "I will tell you sometime, but you really did help me."  And that was it.

Like Mom always tells me: People are always watching. They watch who we are and what we do. I am far from perfect, but we always look for ways to serve and lift people up, no matter who it may be. That´s one of the best parts of missionary work. And sometimes, it happens even without us meaning to.

But the lord uses us all the time in little ways to serve other people. Sometimes without us even being consciously aware of it.

So love deeply, serve consistently, and always live with conviction!

I love you my family! I am grateful for all the little things you do for me when I ask. Usually there are very good reasons why, and I greatly appreciate when you take the time to follow through! You are my hero!

Love you all & have a great week!!

Hna Fernelius

"Pigs and Cows and Land, Oh My!"





Week 30! "Believing Christ"

From 8/25/14

We had our 3-month interviews with President and I just remember beaming up at him from across the interview table. I expressed how happy I was and how blessed I felt. I didn`t even know what to say, but I`m pretty sure I felt the light of happiness emanating from my eyes and filling the room jaja. Oops. I couldn`t help it, it`s just how I felt I guess...

Also, something funny happened last Monday. We had a family home evening with a GIANT family of 12, along with some less active members of the church. Bishop`s family was there along with the Relief Society President`s family and the less active family we were visiting. There were a good 35 or so people in attendance.

Bishop gave the message. It was really good; everyone paid attention. Then Hna L and I were in charge of the game at the end. Well, I don`t know if any of you`ve ever played it, but basically we divided the room into 2 big groups. Everyone had to grab the hands of two different people within their own group and basically create a giant human knot with our arms. The object of the game is to see which of the two groups can undo the human knot first.

As I tried to explain this, I announced that the purpose of the game was "para ver quien de los grupos pueden ....desnudarse...primero." Nudo in Spanish means "knot", does is not? So, it naturally made sense that to undo that knot, it would be "desnudarse". Not so, my friends, not so. As soon as I said it, I realized that what I had actually said was, "whoever of the two groups that`s gets naked first, wins." Oooppps. But luckily, the RS President`s husband is gringo, and he quickly found the correct word for "untangle". Ohhhkay. I`m still learning Spanish here. Have mercy on me. At the end of the game, he proudly proclaimed, "And nobody even had to desnudarse!" o_0

We are teaching a young man of about 22 years old. His name is "J L" [Tiffany wrote about J L and his friend, "A" in last week's email]. This kid has got my heart. He lives with a member friend, "A", who is 21 years old. They live in a one-room house. Rent for them is 70 dollars....and they fight to pay it. They are living within a 2-dollar budget. This is no exaggeration.

One would think that it would be an intimidating task to teach the commandment of tithing to 2 young gentlemen who have only enough to get them through day by day. But, something super chevere is that, I felt the opposite. I think of the blessings my family has received by paying tithing, especially when times are rough. I think of the story in the bible of the widow`s mites. And I think of the Lord...how He fulfills His promises....And I was super excited, even thrilled, to teach them about the law of tithing. I knew it is what they need.

Sunday morning, we stopped by their house to teach them about tithing. I shared a story I remember about when Mom and Dad were young and had very little to provide for the family...And Hna L and I shared our testimonies of the power of the tithe. And the Spirit was there, with conviction.

"A" started crying. He is usually a very spunky, happy little guy. But I see in their faces how they have suffered. He cried as he shared how bad their situation really was...how they had started to collect bottles off the street every night just to sell them for a dollar and have something to eat. And how he gave his old, beaten down laptop to the owner of the property just to let them stay a little longer and pay the rent. And how, the night before, they were collecting bottles when they got cornered by a group of jovenes who patted them down for money, but, upon seeing that they had absolutely nothing, let them go. "A" cried as he explained to us that, just that morning, he was doubting whether he could actually pay his tithing or not. They both looked at each other with expressions of incredulity and commented to us that, that`s when we showed up to testify of tithing.

A few nights before that, on Wednesday, we invited them to a noche de hogar (FHE) at the church with other missionaries and investigators. They walked 1 and 1/2 hrs to get there from where they had spent the day further up north. They said that they were scared to go home because they were afraid the house owner would ask them for the rent, but they had nothing to give him. So they decided to find at least temporary peace at the church that night.

Surprising, yet not so surprisingly, that night the person in charge of the lesson showed a video called, "Un cantero" or something like that. It`s about a man who, apart from losing his legs in an accident and constructing another out of wood, walked 22 miles every morning for 20 years to help in the construction of the Salt Lake Temple. It was a message of faith, dedication, and sacrifice...just perfect for them. They walked out of it a little more inspired, and a little more hopeful.

Just last night, Hna L and I had planned to make a few visits after mission correlation. But we had the idea that we should bring some slices of banana bread to J L and A instead. So we went home, gathered the bag of bread (which the Relief Society made initially for another activity, but our ward mission leader said we could take to them), and made our way over to their house.

We knocked on their door on the 3rd story terrace. They opened, rubbing their eyes. They had been sleeping. Their eyes lit up as they greeted us, "Hermanitas!" they said. We gave them the bread and explained that part of the deal was that they would have to give 4 of those slices of bread to different people whom they can contact and get as references for the missionaries. They agreed. They didn`t know we were coming by with bread.

They said to us, "We were going to go out looking for bottles, but we decided to stay here, because we knew you would come, and we wanted to make sure we were here when you did."

Wow. The Lord knows everything. Then they burst out with so many wonderful things that have been happening in their lives lately. They said that one member of the ward spoke with the bishop and had offered to pay for them to go visit the temple with the ward in October. And that the bishop spoke with A so that perhaps he can baptize J L this Saturday. And that, aside from all the difficulties they have been going through, they feel the Lord`s love for them more now than ever.

They said that J L had been taught by other missionaries before, but that when we came, J L felt something different from us from the very first visit....he said that he felt our CONVICTION. That hit me. He said it was because of our conviction when we shared the gospel that made him want to change. And that helped him to see that the church is true. Whew, I was not expecting that.

They continued to speak to us as we stood there outside their door. They said, "No one has ever taken the time to actually show that they care about us. And you two have helped us to feel that we actually matter..."

These two guys, J L and A, are so humble, so thin, so young...and they have NEVER asked anything from us. We just feel some special need to take care of them. I don`t know what it is, but the Lord has helped us to feel the need to be their advocates. And their story has reached our hearts. I wish I had a picture with me of them now, because you can see in their faces their struggle, and their sincerity.

J L is preparing to be baptized this Saturday. As we were going over the baptismal interview questions with him, I asked him, "So, J L, why do you want to be baptized?" And he answered, "Because I have felt so much opposition since I started listening to you and going to church. But, right after the opposition, there always comes a blessing right when we need it." And, he said, he knows it is because this is true.

And many many more things with these two....they are worthy of a longer email than this. I know that their story is one that is very divinely involved. And I am grateful to be a part of it!

Also, Bishop gave me and Hna L a bag of fruit at Consejo de Barrio last Tuesday. It was a surprise...he didn`t have to do that. But he did. Only for us. I asked him for the name of a less active member last night, and he texted it back with a little extra comment that we weren`t expecting, "Las amo."

I love the work of the Lord. There are blessings in every day. So many little details that I might never have the opportunity to write down...but when the Lord says it`s time for one of His children to accept the Gospel...He makes sure it is done. And, being the imperfect little missionaries that we say we are, He has still managed to trust us with a very special part of this work.

That is what happens when we believe Christ. When we believe His power, believe His promises, and believe His word. (there`s a book about this...I read it before the mission. It`s called, "Believing Christ". There`s a difference between believing Christ and believing IN Him. And that difference in faith is what leads to conviction.)

I love being a missionary.

Love you all!!! Have a great week!!!! :)

Hna Fernelius

The RS gave us a basket of food for days that we don`t have a mamita :) !

My zone -- QUITO ESTE! Minus a couple people...but oh well. Next time.

Week 29! "Another Baptism! [And Lots of Photos]"

From 8/18/14

I forgot to tell you all something very cool that`s been going on recently.....TEMBLORES!!!!!!! Two Fridays ago we experienced the very first one. We were in the house of an investigator. The 2nd story house we were in started shaking with a very deep, earthy rumble. Our investigator practically launched herself out the door as Hna L and I just sat there staring at each other. I was still trying to decide if we were actually in the middle of a tremor or not....as I watched the room sway, stared at the walls, and thought, "Wow, this is really cool."

The investigator made her way back into the house through the front door with her shoulders a little slouched and a confused look on her face. "Aren`t you going to come outside?" she asked. I didn`t know that`s what we were supposed to do. It didn`t seem scary enough to panic about it...but according to Hna L, who`s been through a few earthquakes in her day, they can get really bad really fast.

Since then, we`ve experienced a few different occasions where we feel temblores and even a little bigger ones that would be considered "earthquakes". Now I do know that I'm supposed to go stand under the main door frame or by a sturdy column of the house and wait.

Well, I don`t know if there`s international news about it, but there IS one child who died because, during one of these temblor episodes, one family went running outside and left their little boy inside sleeping. Several barrels of rice or something rolled out and killed the sleeping child. It would have been completely preventable if the family hadn't panicked....But if that is out there on the news somewhere, that accident happened about 200 yards from where we live, just around the corner. It happened in my sector.

"C Y" WAS BAPTIZED!!! It was funny because Bishop came in towards the end of correlacion misional Sunday and told me, guiltily, "Hna Fernelius, I did a maldad...I sent the picture of you doing the praying mantis pose to your parents." ...ohh Bishop. I love him; he always makes me feel so special jaja. He always takes good care of me.

C Y is a very special person with a very special story. Hna H and Hna M, the 2 hermanas before us, contacted him in the street. For THREE WEEKS they were trying to get in contact with him again. But, very literally, he hid from them. He confessed to us that he would actually peek through his window and tell his brothers to be quiet because the missionaries were there. jaja But, they were perseverant and kept looking for him.

Finally one day, they knocked and he wasn`t home. They were about to leave, but decided to go contacting down the street instead of returning back up the stairs like usual. It was a street they`d never contacted down before. As they did, Hna H saw C Y walking in their direction. She stopped him! She`s a beast. and they taught him then and there in the street.

This whole process began a mere 3 weeks ago, when C Y finally began taking the missionary discussions. When we got to him, 2 weeks ago, he was already in 2 Nephi 25 and had one church attendance. As we continued teaching him, he said that he felt uncertain about whether he wanted to be baptized or not....he didn`t feel prepared. But, we gave him a little sheet of paper called "Camino de Fe en Jesucristo", which helps the investigators see their progress and feel prepared for their baptism. On the side, we wrote an "extra goal," which is that he wanted to feel internal peace about the decision to be baptized. He promised he would pray for that internal peace.

We invited Hno C, our ward mission leader, to come with us to a cita with C Y. Hno C brought such a strong vibe...and extra excitement filled the environment as we taught the last of the commandments. C Y commented that every time we visit him, he feels more and more sure that this is what he wants to do.

C Y even prepared the Gospel Principles class that Sunday (HIS 2ND SUNDAY ever going to church) and was prepared to teach the class. He`s a go-getter.

The night before his baptism, he sent us a text message saying, "I prayed to God to feel sure about my decision, and I do. Thanks be to the Lord." C Y received the inner peace he was looking for. His hermanador played a very important role in the conversion process as he took the initiative to invite C Y out to eat and to visit him at his work. And, Saturday afternoon, C Y arrived early, all dressed up, with 3 nonmember people he invited to his baptism.

C Y received the gift of the Holy Spirit right after because it was a rare Sunday where he had to work. In the blessing that Bishop gave him, he said that C Y would go to the temple and would be an important instrument in the Lord`s hands for missionary work. I feel very good about C Y. He is one of those people who did everything from their part to receive an answer if this is true...and who is in it 'til the end.

Bishop shared during the baptismal service as well that just that day or the day before, one of his converts from his mission wrote to him, saying how grateful she was for the two missionaries that taught and baptized her. Bishop showed me what she wrote on his ipad, and it was very special. It was his little way of letting my companion and me know, "Well done." And to keep working hard, because we have the privilege of bringing many converts to God throughout our mission, and we never know what those fruits will bring in the future.

Also, there`s a gringa lady in our ward named Sister E. Hna E doesn`t speak much Spanish, but she has been so good at helping Hna L and me. She brought over a box of mac and cheese, pasta, spaghetti sauce, chicken noodle soup, and crackers with milk and butter for us one day when we didn`t have a mamita. American food!!! jajaja

What she may never know, though, is that the food she gave us of her own good heart actually helped to feed our hungry district leaders who had less than we did, and to feed two young men who live from day to day. Because we were able to share with these two young men, they were able to come to a noche de hogar at the church because they didn`t have to worry about having something to eat that night.

One of them, "J L", is now one of our investigators. He lives with his member-friend, "A". "A" has been encouraging his friend to go to church for a year now, but finally, they went together. That`s where we met them. Investigators that come to us...what a blessing.

They really do live day to day. They are so skinny and have very worn faces and clothes. They have to be in their early 20`s. But, J L feels the promised blessings of living the gospel. In 2 lessons we have had with them, we shared about the Book of Mormon and the Dia de Reposo. Now, J L has gone to church twice and has his baptismal date set for the 30th of August.....the Lord has really blessed us!! The gospel brings blesses to those who can`t survive for themselves...which is everyone.

When we take a minute to reflect on the commandments we have...Sabbath day, reading the scriptures daily, the law of chastity, our tithing....., wow. It`s amazing how much God loves us that He sets us up with an opportunity to receive blessings to every little spiritual and temporal need we may have. Because, with every commandment, there is a blessing tied directly to it.

This week we`ve had many of those special experiences. Small, but sure proof that the Lord always responds.

Sister E, the lady who didn`t go to church because of her family`s financial situation....came for the 2nd time yesterday.

Seeing our people take these steps of faith fill me with joy. I have complete confidence that, if they put what we proclaim to the test, the Lord will respond :)

HAPPY 8-MONTH MISSION ANNIVERSAY ASHLEY!!!!!!!

I love you all and am very grateful for each of you.

Please tell Grandma Boston that I love her and that I say hi!!

Love you all!!! Yay for loooooong emails!!!!!! Have a great week!!!

Hna Fernelius

Hna L and me trying out our thug faces....I just looked drugged and she looks like she`s the one who drugged me. Didn`t really work jajaja



How in the world do they even build these houses? Not to mention all the furniture that needs to get moved in and out of it.

This is a picture we surprised C Y with at his baptism. He really really wanted this picture so that his artist friend could paint it for him :) jejeje. He liked it because it has a "giant" in the front. He is currently reading that part in the Book of Mormon too...Mosiah 18. But that was a couple days ago...I`m sure he`s way past that part now. This kid is on fire.

Yeaaaaahhh mannnn.

This is now what we do during a temblor!!! Run to the door!

​Sunday afternoon correlacion misional meeting.

Waiting for the bus outside :)

BOWLING today!!! With my district and other missionaries from our zone :)

Do you think we succeeded at taking this missionary party picture?? jajaja

​...because it definitely was a party!! jajaja :)

Crooked....oh well. Many cameras on timer on a little counter. It'll just have to do.

No look at THEM socks. Ohhh Hna L! :)

​And you even get to see what we dined on for lunch today...Yes, we took a few pictures. But that`s only because we haven`t been taking many, so I made it a goal to take more, jajaja. Yay for pictures! :)

Week 28! "Jugo de Cana [Canya]"

From 8/11/14

This week we had Consejo de Barrio (Ward Council) on Thursday. At the beginning, bishop told me, "I have two things to tell you. Two things" he said as he held two fingers up in the air. I thought it was going to be something about a communication he had between him and Mom or something but....not so. He pulled me aside from my companion after consejo and quietly counseled me:

"I saw you walking down such and such street today...." pause, "...and you were walking in front of your companion." After he said this, I knew where he was going next, and his words pierced. He gently, but directly, counseled me to walk beside her. Then he said nothing else about it. I only responded, "It was costumbre, obispo..." But I felt so bad. People really are watching us from everywhere, often without us even knowing it. And walking in front of your companion is a sign that we don`t get along or that I am better than her. I know it`s not recommended, but that`s how I always walk, because I like to walk fast...and I didn`t think that much of it, la verdad.

The second thing he wanted to say: "Also, do you work on [the famous street] at night?"

"Yes," I replied.

He asked us, so lovingly, to avoid it at night because he`s been down there that late and feels that we should avoid it. I responded that I was conscious of this, and that we were trying to be careful. But that sometimes, it`s a little unavoidable because many of the people we need to visit are only there at night. He didn`t want to tell us NOT TO GO THERE, but instead, offered a better alternative...He commented that he would put a better foot in and go with us more often at night so we wouldn`t be alone...or that he would assign someone from the ward, perhaps with a car, that could do so instead.

I went home and, I`m not gonna lie, I did cry a little. It felt very much like Mom or Dad was there giving me counsel and advice. The counsel even made me feel guilty!! Yikes!! jaja But it`s because of the special connection we have with my bishop...and I definitely felt his admonishing love. I can honestly say that I don`t let my companion walk behind me anymore.

Also, we had a special experience with another fast this week. Hna L and I wanted to fast for a less active Mom of a somewhat active family. La familia "E". They struggle financially and have had some conflicts within their relationships because of it. The Mom does not feel able to go to church because she feels there`s never enough time to work to provide for them.

We fasted to know what to do, because they asked us specifically, "Please don`t neglect us. Please help us to come up with ideas (to resolve the schedule/financial situation)."

When we visited them on Thursday, we walked into the little home without knowing really where we were going to take the conversation of the visit. All we had prepared with us was a little piece of paper that had the number to the employment office of the church.

We began asking them questions...trying to get a feel of what it was they were really looking for. We felt the differences of opinion. As we listened, ideas began coming to our heads that we hadn`t thought of before. We read a scripture in D&C 59 about the Sabbath day. We promised temporal and spiritual blessings. Hna L shared a heartfelt testimony about a time their family was struggling financially and how she knows faithful church attended was what had blessed them. She brought the spirit so powerfully with her testimony...no one even remembered that she is still learning Spanish and only had just over a week in Ecuador.

Then, we left them a little post-it note with 4 steps listed on it: 1) pray as a couple, specifically asking for solutions to what they`re looking for; 2) meet with the bishop; 3) I can`t remember what three was....oops; 4) have faith! everything will work out when we keep the commandments of the Lord.

Obviously it wasn`t enough...despite countless hours of labor and attempts to have success within their family. We pointed out that, obviously, that wasn`t enough. We can`t do these things alone. We need divine help. We promised her that, if they went to church as a family, they would have what they needed.

After the closing prayer, we felt how much the attitude of the house had changed. The Spirit was very clearly there. There are several things in this case that are out of our expertise and authority, but inviting to pray and to keep the commandments always seems to be the answer for any problem people face....that part felt so true that night.

Yesterday we saw the entire family at church! :) Hna E was there for the first time in a long time...probably a few months. She sat quietly in every lesson. Hno E is pretty short, but he smiled up at me gratefully at the end of the block and waved a little piece of paper in my face.

"Look what I have! It`s an answer to our prayers!"

I saw that, the little piece of paper which he held, was an invitation to an employment night event the ward was putting on Saturday the 16th. I felt very grateful to see the little light in his eyes of hope. Immediately I responded, "You see, the Lord`s blessings!" jaja.

This is a great example of effort on everyone`s part. The E family, us, the ward council....all taking the initiative at once. Why wait? Why not get to work right away..! And, all of this because the Lord loves the E family. And He loves us. When we all work together to build His kingdom...blessings and miracles happen. We let the Spirit do it`s job....and it`s so rewarding :). I wonder what Zion will be like...

Also this week, "C Y" will be getting baptized. I will definitely need to send a couple pictures of him. He treated Hna L and me to jugo de caña this week (sugar cane juice). It was completely pure!!!! We watched as the lady peeled a side of the cane and pressed it through a crazy-looking juice presser. No water or sugar added!! And it was soooo good. Not too sweet....but juuuuuust right. And refreshing. We definitely have to go back to that place!

We continue to have many special experiences! We aren`t by any means perfect...But, like Matthew, Dad, and Mom said this week...I know the Lord blesses according to the desires and honest efforts of our heart. Our "numbers" were low this week...but it wouldn`t show. Hna L and I feel so blessed and like the Lord is making up for the rest....He is making up for what we lack. And I hope we can keep that confidence in Him, and ourselves, going.

I love you all!!! I hope you all have a great week!! I love hearing from you - thanks for your wonderful (and specific) stories and help!!!

Have a great week!! Ashley gets 8 months older the same day my companion gets 2 months!!! GO ASH!!!!! Love you! :)

Hna Fernelius

"Buenas tardes Presidente! ¿Còmo està?

...[let me tell you about] a family with two small children we`ve been teaching. 'A' has hit rock bottom in his life in the past, which is a large part of the reason we feel he is finally ready to accept the gospel. The very first time we visited them, he shared a dream he had of a holy messenger looking at him and saying "The hermanas are here; wake up." And right then, we knocked on the door. He works some Sundays, which is the challenge. But we know he wants this in his life and we want to help him strengthen his testimony to where his boss can give him Sundays off.

Hna L and I are doing great! We feel like a team and have gotten to know the sector so much better this week. Our zone and district leaders are also supportive and very helpful, so we are grateful for them.

One of our goals this week, now that we know more members and where they live, is to plan more visits with miembro presente on a daily basis. We know that this will help our investigators to progress because that is what happened with [another recent investigator who has committed to be baptized].

 

This is the street that let us know we weren`t really lost one night last week when we were trying to get home. We don`t get so lost any more..but we have our moments jajaja

​I snuck a picture of this taxi driver who was watching a soap opera on a mini television by the rearview mirror. I asked another taxi driver about that later on....and he said that wasn`t allowed. jajaja Ohhh taxistas and soap operas.

It`s not a great picture, but it`s Hermana L's group of newbies and their new "parents" :) jijij. We`re the only hermanas beside Hna Richardson!

....this is our district.

For Benjamin....there`s a guy who has frames of different kinds of knots. Incredible!! I thought of you :) jaja

​My bangs are getting long...I should cut them. My hair actually looks pretty good today though...I pinned it back into a little poof-top thing....oh well. This mini ice cream was super cute and small!!!! It was 10 cents jajaja