All in the Tag: Week 51! "Promises Fulfilled..."

From 1/13/15

I laughed so hard with some comments in your emails this week :) You are all the best :)

So, ....like I said. Cambios [transfers]. I am now on the coast of Ecuador!! :)

Honestly, I was 100% sure I would be staying in my last area...for various reasons. Hna Q had 3 cambios (4.5 months) there and I was somewhat the newbie still. We got the "cambios call" Sunday night. I was in my pj´s making chocolate popcorn in the kitchen. About 9:50 pm...phone rings. I hear Hna Q's excitement from the other room.."What? What?! Come here!" I called. She came into the kitchen and put the phone on speaker...

"Hna Q has cambios to.....!!" (across the street from the current sector jaja)...then, without a pause, "And Hna Fernelius is going to la costa!"

*Dead silence*

"What?" I asked.

"Yes, Hna Fernelius is going to la costa to be with Hna F."

I, my friends, thought he was kidding...because he also told us he was called to be a secretary of the mission. Wuuuut. But he assured us it wasn´t a broma [joke], and that is the news he received from our zone leaders sooo.....

This is why I had to leave early and travel all day yesterday. I got here at about 8 pm, we bought a burger and milkshake and went home to plan for the next day.

I feel so incredulous right now...I am still trying to accept that I am actually here en la costa, where not many Hermanas serve. I am so happy even writing this, though I still need a confirmation from the Lord that this was actually an inspired move....because I did not feel ready to leave my last area. ....Because, when me and Hna Q left, our sector also got closed. And my heart stopped.

We have a recent convert of 3 days there whose brother´s baptism is also for this Saturday....and now there are no missionaries in that sector. And this is what makes me most at unease. But, we gave the area book to the other Elders of that ward with as much info as we could. And I am praying that the Lord, since this was inspired by Him, will take over the sector for now. I think the reason is that, since in the next cambio there are a ton of Hermana missionaries leaving and a ton coming, they want to leave a few sectors open for the trainers and trainees.

But I´m trying to leave that all behind and get to focusing on where I am now.

Saturday, like I mentioned, D was baptized. His mom was a reference from a less active member, their neighbor. When we contacted them, we first spoke at the door with his mother and younger brother. D was a contact we had later on, but who also accepted every aspect of the gospel so readily. He went to church 3 times, received las enseñanzas [the lessons], and was baptized. His younger brother, C, is now also preparing for baptism.

C was a little different story. He was receiving lessons from another sect, and felt confused. He liked them both. But, when he started reading the Book of Mormon and went to church for the 2nd time, he felt a change of desire within him. We visited him after that Sunday and he said, "I don´t feel confused anymore. I´ve been reading the Book of Mormon and feel that it is true. I like knowing that this is the true course."

Their mother, a less active member of 20 years, went to church for the first time this Sunday.

There is so much progress in my last area. Now I´m trying to let it go so that I can change gears :).

La costa is so different....in practically every way. The people here listen to loud music, are very flamboyant and open in their personalities, and are generally less educated. The indigenous were mostly reverent, friendly, quiet working people, though many of the older people were also less educated. I am going to have to change a lot of the way I approach people being here...so my goal this week is to be able to do that: get to know the sector and culture of the people in order to adjust the way we befriend and teach them.

It´s humid. I took a cold shower this morning, and was a little sweaty when I got out. I slept last night with a mosquito net and a fan, which filled my heart with joy jaja.

My companion is super good. She´s from California has been here 2 cambios. She will show me the ropes to things, I´m sure :p

Today, we were walking down a dirt path, coming out of our first cita [appointment] and heading to come to this cyber. Previously, we went up a road by bus and Hna F was pointing out the houses of various ward members. But, this time, as we walked down, she turned left suddenly and said, "I want to present you to Hna A."

"Okay," I responded.

We walked inside, and they very openly received me. The hermano, ex-obispo, stood ironing baptismal clothing which he had just finished sewing. "Hna Fer--ne--li oos," he pronounced, repeating it a couple times for practice. :)

Then, he continued ironing and commented, "About 20 years ago, there was an Elder Fernelius who served in my rama [branch]."

I stopped, wondering what would come next. "He looooooved basketball..." Yep, that was the first comment he made. Not even kidding.

"THAT´S MY DAD!!!!!!!!!!" I thought, not saying anything still. The only thing I did was look at my compa wide-eyed. She knows Dad served in la costa the first part of his mission.

"He was a missionary when I was presidente de la rama. He would always play basketball with the investigators in the park."

I whipped out a picture of Dad and showed him. He put on his glasses and observed the photo for a second.

"Yeah, that´s definitely him" he carefully contemplated. "But, he was tall and flaquito [skinny] then.." (...jaja sorry bud).

Then he continued, "I sewed Bermuda shorts and he would be the one who came to buy them from me."

That´s when I clapped my hands to my face and laughed, "HE STILL HAS HIS SHORTS!!!" I said jajaja.

It´s true! Mom even makes Dad those shorts and that´s what he wears when he wants to be comfortable. jajaj!!!! Aaaaahh.

I can´t believe that the VERY FIRST member people I meet here was the branch president when Dad was a missionary. And he remembers those details! Of more than 25 years ago...

I live about 15-20 minutes away from the playa [beach] (muejejeje). And about 30 minutes away (by bus) from the center of town....where Dad served 26 years ago.

I feel so blessed to be here. I need to understand what the Lord wants me to do here, because this is a heavenly privilege, and I just want to do my best with the guide of the Spirit.

I am grateful for the opportunities the Lord has placed before me...throughout my life and on the mission. I know it comes from obedience and heartfelt desire to just be here and work for the right reasons.

I know this church is true. Life is a spiritual experience, and when we remember to see people that way, we begin to see spirits who need to return home, instead of just people.

One thing we did with D before we left my last area (which I believe was also inspired), was that we taught him several times about the temple...It was also a theme of this Sunday in Gospel Principles class. I feel sure now that this was the Spirit allowing us to testify of the temple, and set his sights high. When we called him yesterday morning to say goodbye, I reminded him, "Remember to keep your sight on the temple."

And he responded, "That is what I want."

Focusing on the temple will allow him to do the small, daily preparations....reading the scriptures, praying, and going to church.

I am grateful to be here. I am so grateful to be a missionary. And I am so grateful to represent my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know His heavenly plan for us is in action, and we are all a part of it. I am grateful how keeping the eternal perspective allows each of us to have no fear of man, and work to only please and do what God wants of us.

Hna M is flying home right now, returning from her mission. It´s gets me thinking what I want for mine....I need to buckle down and do my best :)

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

Hna Fernelius

P.S. Dad, write stories :) :P

Tiffany's note to her mission president this week:

"D was baptized last Saturday!!! He shared his testimony at the end saying, 'I just want to follow the straight path of truth, and now, I am.....It´s difficult to explain how I feel. My spirit feels big.'

He is not a person of many words, but that's why, when he says something, it´s with complete reverence. His mother and two little brothers were there, one, C, has his baptism also coming up for this Saturday.

Which is also why the cambios were such a surprise. We have a recent convert now and a baptism this Saturday. We have so much rolling there right now, including their mother, who came to church for the first time in 20 years Sunday. And it concerns me not having designated missionaries there right now, though, I know the cambios have heavenly design. And I´m currently praying that the Lord will take charge of the sector until more missionaries arrive there.

I also have a testimony of the carpeta de area [area organizer]. I feel that I have learned the hard way of how important it is, so Hna Q and I were pushing ourselves to be consistent in updating it. Now, I know why. And this is a big reason I feel more at peace leaving the sector to the Elders.

Today, I feel so blessed, President. In previous blessings my parents have received, and in my setting apart blessing, we were given the promise that I would come here and find ancestors and people my dad had known from his mission.

As we walked down a dirt road heading to this very cyber, Hna F stopped and said, 'Wait, I need to introduce you to this family.'

So we went. They were inside, an ex-obispo and his wife of 5 years. I introduced myself. Bishop repeated my name and commented, 'There was an Elder Fernelius who served here about 20 years ago.'

I listened, wide-eyed as he continued to describe this missionary. I quickly pulled out a picture of my dad, 'Is this him?' I asked.

Obispo put on his glasses and observed the picture. 'Yes, that´s him....He was skinnier before, though.' jaja

I am in awe! On that very street live many other members, and Hna F hadn´t introduced me to any of them yet. But, she didn´t know exactly why she took me directly to this family member´s house. And the very first members I meet here are people who knew my dad.

I feel that the blessings we have received as a family are being fulfilled, thanks to inspiration from the Lord. Though I didn't feel ready to come here quite yet, I know that the Lord will qualify me to be here and confirm to me the plan He has for me being here with Hna F, who I am also happy to be with.

My goal this week is to get to know the sector and culture of the people quickly to give it my all."

Consejo de la mision last Tuesday

My first time eating straight sugar cane :)

Baptism of D....

...and us....being super happy :D jaja

On our way to la costa! Three Hermanas including me got transferred there this cambio...

...and a taste of the view. So much wildlife on the way!!! It was a 7ish hour trip after all :p

...and a mosquito net!! wooojooooo! :)

[Apologies that some of these photos are out of sequence - we don't always receive them in order, and these got particularly mixed up this week - Tiffany's Dad]