Week 57! "The Double Lives of Two Sister Missionaries..."

From 2/23/15

Last week we had interviews with President. He came to the coast and my only question was whether he could "foresee" a little of what would happen with me the last few cambios of my mission. I am pretty much pumped to give it my all, though my body is starting to get a little tired. My desires and determination is way too strong and I want the big adventures and race to the finish to come now that I have experience in the mission as well. I didn´t say all this. All I said was "I have animos to keep learning". I just feel I have so much left to give! :)

This Sunday morning Hna F and I met up with the Hermanas from an area nearby, because one of them was also finishing her mission. Hna F and her met up and stayed for the early ward´s sacrament meeting while I went to the other area with Hna R. It was weird leaving Hna F. She´s got a strong presence and personality, so now I had to mentally prepare myself for taking over my sector again.

Hna R is from Bolivia. She was in the ARMY there....0_o Tough cookie, she is. And very funny. We spent the day Sunday between the two areas, trying to work together in both sectors...like 30 minutes bus ride apart. Both sectors are SUPER big, well, one more than anything. The Hermanas in the bigger area are the only missionaries in the mission Ecuador Quito Norte that have a PLAYA (beach) in their sector. They even have a little island that you have to take a boat to get to....well, obvious, isn´t it?..:p

Anyway, the branch yesterday thought I was the newly arrived missionary to be with Hna R. So they made me get up to the pulpit and present myself. I chuckled to myself:

"Suckers," I thought, "They think I´m the new Hermana! jejeje".

So, I got up, presented myself as a visitor and that I worked nearby. And projected a lot of hopeful aspirations of the branch and ward to the members there if they kept sharing their testimonies.

Later that day, I considered what it would actually be like to work in that area. It would be....a challenge. Because it´s huuuuuge. And it´s still a rama [branch] for a reason. But there are a lot of good members and good potential there. I told Hna R that the missionaries of this branch need to receive a lot of revelation to know how to work there, and would definitely have so much exito [success] because the potential is so big.

At night, we were waiting for the call from our leaders to know who would be our new companions! Elder G, our zone leader gave the news. Hna R would be receiving.....!!!!!!!!!!! Well, she already had received her new companion. It would be me!! We looked at each other a little confused. They explained:

"Hna R is now an Hna Líder and the two of you will be working in BOTH sectors." ....Wut.

There are no new Hermanas coming to the coast. Me and Hna R have both previous areas as our sectors now. We aren´t sure for how long or why exactly. But....wow. All those impressions and thoughts leading up to it was maybe God hinting at us that we were to be companions now. How is it going to work out? Me don´t know. But we mapped out what a typical week would look like and now have an idea. We are going to be traveling quite a bit this week. Today we already bought double supplies of a few things to have a set in both houses. Some nights living in the one area, some nights living in the other. jaja! This is going to be cool.

There are two Hermanas more in the coast 2 hours from us. They live farrrr with a little group of elders in comparison to the rest of the zone. They are staying companions, but one of those Hermanas will be training this cambio as well. So, 5 Hermanas in the coast!!! Wooojoo! This definitely rocks! :) I´m looking forward to it.

Soon we enter into Milagros de Marzo, so I know this will be good :)

So, that´s the dip for the week.

Love you all!

3 Ne 5:13. Have a great week! :)

Hna Fernelius

C is a deaf, mostly blind recent convert who we teach using our hands and writing. Here, Hna F is writing out the hymn we were going to sing and he read it while we sang. It was so cute!

The Zone!

Another Sister headed for home this transfer.



Yes, this house doesn´t have walls. Dirt floors. This is a common thing here. And HAMMACKS. Love livin' the life.

Week 56! "A Song and a Prayer"

From 2/6/15

This week is carnaval!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! PARRRRRTAAAAYYY!!!!
Well....ahem....kidding. But man, the people here KNOW how to play in water and have a good time. All the stores are closed because people have vacated to go to the beach! We saw one truck with a loooong truck bed in the back. On it were two full grown men wading in a large blow-up pool as the truck drove on down the street! jaja Now that´s how it´s done!!

It was neat this week because Hna F is experiencing a lot of "last"s....as in, the week that comes she will be heading back home to the states. It´s horrifying, but wonderful all at the same time. And as I am part of this experience for her I have been able to see how much God loves His missionaries.

For example, last week we went to visit a less active teenager who we hadn´t seen since I got here. The first time I saw him he was just....disrespectful. This time, he listened attentively, treated us with respect, conversed normally, and everything!!! It was weird. Then, he told us an experience he had:

He was having a rough day and was preparing to go to school. He said bye to his mom and headed out, yet, he didn´t actually ever go to school like his mom thought. Instead, he walked to our house and sat outside on the cement sidewalk. He said that, as he sat there not knowing what to do, he heard Hna F´s (beautiful) voice ringing from the second floor out the windows. (I´m glad I probably couldn't sing loud enough for him to hear me...jaja) But, it was that music that we sang that helped him to feel the Spirit and just....reflect. He felt peace through the hymn we sang (I don´t know which hymn it was).

It was then that made him reflect on his behavior, on the way he has been acting with the hermana missionaries for months, and change.

That lesson was one of the most spiritual ones we´d had last week. Largely because the Spirit of repentance is exactly one of the strongest spirits we can feel in our lives.

It was a great week filled with tender mercies large and small. Especially for Hna F. For example, with "A" (the teenager), we visited him the first time not having ANY idea of how we were going to get through to him. But, the night before this visit we made, Hna F said she prayed and studied specifically for him. And then....that. His experience that we had no idea had occurred one month earlier.

Wow, changes are real. And God really blesses His children.

I love you all and hope you have a great week! :)

Hna Fernelius

At parque infantíl last Monday!!

And .....the basketball court where Dad played with his investigators :)

Hno A and the red rose he picked for me and Hna F on Valentine´s Day :)

 

A family that came all the way from Quito just to surprise Hna F and say goodbye!!! Wuuut. That´s love and dedication right there.

Hna N finishing patacones to go with our Sunday lunch cevuche! yuuuummmm :)

Week 55! "Cheetos Are....Plastic?!"

From 2/9/15

Hi family!!!

 

First off, please let everyone know that this month is "Fe de Febrero traerá milagros de Marzo". It´s where we make some sacrifices in order to reap blessings for our life and mission. And I´m going deep in this year. One of my sacrifices is to only have 1 hour to write to my family and President of the mission. The rest of the time I plan to study for investigators and other things. I love responding to my friends and family, but I have faith in following through with this sacrifice. :) Thank you!

 

That said, I don´t have much time left to write to you. I was going to cut out writing emails home altogether but decided in this case that wouldn´t be wise. For example, there is important information that needs to be transmitted. Also, in my setting-apart blessing it mentions the role that emails to and from home would play in my life and for my family at home. So, 1 hour limit it is :)

 

Family, did you know that if you light a cheeto with a match, it drips plastic?! We learned that from a man that gave a health capacitación on the bus back from Quito on Wednesday. We went home and tried it....it´s true.....And we CONSUME that?? YEAH we do!

 

In an area of our sector we rode in a member´s car to a cita [appointment]. It´s more nature-area there and less mud-city. As the car inched it´s way up the windy dirt road, two small boys turned away from playing on a dirt soccer court and grabbed hold of the tail end of the car. We rode up the hill, laughing and cheering them on as their little heads simultaneously bobbed up and down and they followed the car up the trail. They smiled so big and so CUTE and we turned around give them cheers and thumbs-up. Several hundred feet later, they both let go and turned to their left to go up another dirt path home. What a priceless, "Kodak moment"! I just didn´t have my camera on me at the time. Rats. But, I just had to tell you. It was so cute! They had to have been 8 and 9 years old.

 

For my birthday, the zone leaders surprised me with a can of peaches. I was SO HAPPY! A can of peaches is expennnnsive here. It´s like $3.75 or something....and way better than a torta (cake). jaja It sealed the end of a rather strange day, honestly.  But it was a good day :)

 

Hno A [the one that knew my dad on his mission] is struggling with his health. He is such a quiet, loving guy. I gave him the assignment to fix my watch, and he did. It´s in better condition than it was before. :) I love the man. For more reasons than one.

 

We have a goal of finding a progressing family! We pray constantly to find them. Hna F is ending her mission, so we have high goals! Please pray for her....for her animos [motivation] and for the miracles she seeks. It´s hard ending a mission, but she is going strong and is an example of diligence and determination to me :)

 

I love your emails! I love your faith and personalities. I love the people you naturally are and naturally strive to become. Love you all!

 

Have a great week! Keep working hard and the Lord will continue to guide and bless us :)

 

Love,

 

Hna Fernelius

 

"...we have been working with a mom and daughter for some time. This week has been challenging since they have been largely in the hospital because of a complicated birth.

 

'S' was disappointed yesterday when we explained that if she didn´t go to church for the 3 hours, we would have to put off her baptism for another week. She was concerned about her mother, who she needed to bring breakfast to in the hospital. We testified of faith and the power of prayer. She went to her room and said a prayer while we said our own. As we began walking together to church, she told us she had forgotten her I.D. at home. Hna F and I decided to hurry back while she continued on to sacrament mtg. As we hurried to get it, she called us not 2 minutes later, an air of joy and relief in her voice, 'Hermanas! It´s okay, my aunt called and said she´s at the hospital to help my mom and give her food!'

 

We went to church and S was so content to be there. There was a large smile on her face the entire time...and she passed her baptismal interview! It really was a miracle and an answered prayer :) I know it comes from an act and prayer of faith.

 

I have several things I´m sacrificing this month and next. I remember the miracles from last year and feel an increased need to reach specific personal goals for my life and mission. I´ve been really blessed on my mission!, but there´s more I must give to the Lord.

 

I spoke with Hna F, and she expressed her strong desire to find a family who progresses before she goes home. We have been praying in every prayer without fail for this family. I know we will find them.

 

Our relationship is really good. My heart has grown for my companion in miraculous ways. I feel our studies are so important because there, without fail we find motivating stories and talks from our heritage and modern prophets that testify of faith, sacrifice, and obedience.

 

I feel really good! I feel home here in a very real way. I love feeling the strength that comes from being the Lord´s missionary, and hope to improve every day."

Week 54! "Poisonous Frog...or Prince?"

From 2/2/15

Just wanted to say hi!! No more time to write than that for this week, but I love you all and hope you are doing well.

 

We had a specialized conference last week where President and the Assistants came to my area. It was really, really good :) Me and Hna F got to share capacitaciòn [training] with two zones on repentance and how to teach it effectively to investigators. I definitely felt the spirit.

 

Thanks for the love and birthday wishes. Thanks for always updating the blog. I can`t tell you how much it means. And it motivates me to always reflect on just how beautiful my mission and life have been for me and want to share from the heart. It also motivates me to write more diligently in my personal journal for the future :)

 

Have a great week! :)

 

Hna Fernelius

"Buenas tardes!

[Two investigators] accepted a baptismal date before, but it had to be changed because they weren`t able to make it to church for health reasons. They are really humble, which is why they accept the doctrine so readily.

It`s true what you said last week, that there is a special 'prepared' spirit in this area. There are many ready to progress. We just need to set our sight high and find them.

 

I am doing well. I love it here so much! The ward is great and I was in awe to see about 20 people get up Sunday to bear short, powerful testimonies. It was great.

I know this work is of the Lord, and lately I`ve been studying more of the life of Joseph the prophet and the history of the church. It amazes me the miracles and prophecies they received....but also the tremendous opposition they faced.

I love this gospel and I want to be a great part of the work and growth here in Ecuador. I feel the Lord`s hand in my life, guiding me, teaching, and training me. I hope it continues in great strides :)"

 

P.S.......................

 

............................my companion and I caught a toad with our hands a couple nights ago, and I told my zone leader in the nightly phone call we make to report our work that day (he`s American). He told me "YOU CAN`T DO THAT!"

 

"What? Why not?" I asked back.

 

He said that he had an investigator who`s kids picked up and killed toads and ended up with sores all over their hands....Wuuuut. We don`t have running water in the house, so I didn`t wash my hands really good after touching the giant toad.

 

I`m scared.

 

Later, another member in our ward told me that frog pee can also make you go blind. Gulp.

But, I`m still alive and can see just fine so...I guess I dodged that bullet.  AND I got a couple pictures out of it too. jejeje :)

 

[It's Tiffany's birthday this week - looks like someone was looking out for her....]

Service in a contact

Eating "Shawarmas"