Week 70! "In the Marrow of Their Bones..."

From 5/25/15

Just yesterday a tall blonde missionary came to our ward. She finished her mission a week ago, so I was surprised at first to see her there. I thought she came by herself and made some type of miraculous get-away from the rest of those who took their flight home. But then! I saw two tall people at her side following her around....her parents!!! It was super cool to see her parents there with her. They did the same thing we are doing. Her parents came to pick her up and they were in the process of making a few stops before heading to the states.

The parents seemed to be in wonderland.

It was great and got me really excited for when that day comes as well. I don`t know...I don`t feel "trunky" like many people in their last cambio...I feel good. With...everything. Good to keep working this last transfer and good with the idea of my family coming when they do. It`s weird, but my President has been a great source of encouragement and helps me want to leave a legacy of faith on the mission.

I read Ashley's email from last week about 3 times or more throughout the course of the week. Her email left an impact. That sense of deep reverence she has of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the evidence of someone who reflects upon, understands, and meticulously applies the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The most prevailing thought that kept coming to my mind was of someone who is being instructed by God in order to achieve great wisdom in the future. That is cool.

[Click on the following link if you're interested in seeing what Ashley is up to:

http://hermanafernelius.blogspot.com/].

There`s a recent convert here named Brother C. He is 19, almost 20 years old. Last week, for the first time, he blessed the sacrament. When I saw him up there (I was sitting at the keyboard in the corner of the chapel) I became so excited! What a great joy it is to see one young man change his life around until ultimately receiving the priesthood and voicing the words of the sacrament prayer for all to hear.

Brother C lives with his elderly parents in very humble circumstances. He works and he studies. Normally if we don`t go at exactly 5 pm to his house, we won't find him there. His mom is very sick and will likely soon pass through the veil. His father, though also a convert, is struggling still with certain lifestyle changes in order to keep all the commandments. Brother C is practically....alone. He attends a Catholic school where many, if not all, his classmates ridicule him for changing his behaviors so much in so little time. His "friends" ostracize him for going from robbing women in the bus to returning to them a bus ticket that slips from their hand. They laugh at him for meekly taking a punch instead of fighting back.

One night we went to visit him. He was deeply hurting emotionally. He told us, "I can`t do this any more." And that he doesn`t want to be a member of the church anymore. It was too hard. And it costs too much.

We didn`t have the words at first....we just....hurt with him. But then the Gospel newly lit itself into each one of our hearts. That`s the beautiful part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that there are no holes. There is always an "out". There is always an answer. More than of knowledge, there is an answer through the Spirit...of peace, of comfort, and of encouragement. Jesus Christ came to redeem us and give us an eternal hope and perspective. Whatever doesn`t seem fair in this life will be made fair in the life to come.

He felt it all -- so that "we might not suffer if we would repent". 

Elder Holland said once, speaking of the faith of pioneers:

"They didn't do that for a program, they didn't do it for a social activity; they did it because the faith the gospel of Jesus Christ was in their soul, it was in the marrow of their bones...That's the only way those mothers could bury their babies in a breadbox and move on, saying, 'The promised land is out there somewhere. We`re  going to make it to the valley.'

"They could say that because of covenants and doctrine and faith and revelation and spirit....If we can keep that in our families and in the Church, maybe a lot of other things start to take care of themselves. Maybe a lot of other less-needed things sort of fall out of the wagon. I'm told those handcarts could only hold so much. Just as our ancestors had to choose what they took, maybe the 21st century will drive us to decide, 'What can we put on this handcart?' It`s the substance of our soul; it`s the stuff right down in the marrow of our bones."

I know that God qualifies those whom He calls. I'm taking on a greater appreciation for the worth of every soul....including my own. What I am learning is how to have a healthy self-worth....not thinking too little or too much of myself. But being able to have a spiritual meekness and confidence before God, and what it means to be His servant. I don`t know God or Jesus Christ yet, but I have the sure hope that one day I will be able to know Them.

I am grateful for this Gospel. I know it's true and I try to understand and apply it more daily. I know that every person with a good heart is trying too. And this is why we need to help each other.

Brother C is now a Home Teacher. He went out with his companions to make his first visits yesterday.

:)

I love you all! Have an amazing week!

Love,

Hna Fernelius

Tiffany worked in a trio for a few days last week with these two sisters.

This fortified gate may be more durable than the surrounding fence....

"Do not devour the paper...Use only what is necessary"

"Do not devour the soap...Use only what is necessary"



Today at the mall...

Week 69! "Small World..."

From 5/18/15

Heeelllo. :)

 

First of all....ASH SENT PICTURES. Woo! :) I love seeing and hearing how Ash is doing. It makes me happy.

 

This week we had cambios [transfers]....I´m now in....THE ORIENTE!!!! WOOOOOO!!!!!

 

Okay, okay. I´m just kidding. I´m still here in Quito. But, did you all get just a little excited there for a second? jajaja Hna B was transferred and I´m here with Hna C.....

This week was.....hm. Good! We are teaching a new family of 7. Only the youngest is 2 y/o and the rest are the 2 parents and teenage children. They didn´t come to church yesterday....rats....but they have a ton of desires (especially the Dad, and that is key). I want to exercise a lot of faith in this transfer in teaching them, and I know that good things will happen. I can´t wait to update you all on the progress of this family.

Families are so important. Who are we without them? Every family is just a little different. And that´s what makes the message of the Restored Gospel even more amazing. How is it that one set of eternal principles can cover every need in every situation in every moment? I think of the families we have with needs here and how beautiful it is to help them apply the gospel in their personal lives.

 

Jesus Christ is our Savior. He really did die and He really does live. Ahh yeah. This is good news for us all :)

 

Also, yesterday in Sunday class our teacher was AMAZING. He explained that in olden days the disciples participated of the sacrament on Saturday...the dia de reposo. But when Jesus was resurrected on Sunday, the disciples began to take the sacrament on Sundays...the new dia de reposo (Acts 20:7). When we don´t keep the Sabbath Sunday holy, we are in essence rejecting the resurrection of Christ....Wut. I learned a lot of cool things in class yesterday. I love the Sabbath Day.

 

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

Hna Fernelius

"I love being with the newer missionaries! Every time I am with them I can just expect good experiences to happen:

 

Tuesday we walked into a less active member´s house (Sister A) and she was apparently busy cleaning her living area. Her non-member neighbor was also there. We decided to aprovechar del tiempo [take advantage of the opportunity] and began speaking with the neighbor (Sister J) - she´s 19 with one small son.

 

As we spoke and tried to make the most of the time, Sister A didn't seem very interested. However, we asked more about her life and how she came to know the gospel. She mentioned the names of Hna F and Hna S...how they were the ones to teach and baptize her long ago. When I told her Hna F was my companion, she stopped in the middle of her work and looked up at me. Suddenly we had all her attention. She sat down at the table and focused on us. We informed her of how she can get in touch with Hna F, then we began to teach lesson 2 from the beginning. From that point on they both listened attentively and even called over Sister A's nonmember daughter to listen as well.

 

At the end, we invited them to church. Sister A came the Sunday before for the first time in months. And her 19 year old neighbor accepted a baptismal date in tears. I felt that the lesson was mediocre in my own eyes, but when I saw her neighbor so touched by the spirit it reminded me of the power of a simple, imperfectly spoken testimony from us. It was a motivating experience and humbling testimony of the power of the pure doctrine of Christ. After Sister J accepted baptism, Sister A seemed a little shocked and impressed as well, and her 9 y/o daughter also enthusiastically asked if she could be baptized as well and have her own copy of the Book of Mormon.

 

I loved that experience. It was a testimony to me that, if we look for miracles, God will provide them..."

Me and my companion.

Me and a newer missionary on Tuesday...

Familia "P"

We made a piñata for this Elder's last Thursday in the mission...

 

Week 68! "Raising the Bar"

From 5/11/15

Hola family!

 

This week was pretty great. Not because we had absolutely outstanding experiences (though, like always, we did) But because I`m realizing that I CAN be constant!!! Wooo! Consistency has always been a challenge for me. I like changes and adventures and challenges. But in this sector the population of investigators is different. They require perseverance and consistency. And it`s also helping me to recognize how much I`ve grown spiritually up 'til now. Now I can work until the end of the day with the same amount of perseverance as when I start it. I don`t know if that makes sense but basically it`s a good thing.

 

We had some really really good experiences this week, actually. We found 3 new families. That's cool. On Tuesday we found out that there is going to be a new standard in the mission that raises the bar of how we teach: we can only have lessons with people if we sit down somewhere with them, start and end with a prayer, and ensure that we teach in a way that invites them to act every time. This is not always going to be easy since many times the new people we find and teach are in the streets, in buses, etc. But the point is to do everything possible to create an environment where the Spirit can be present more powerfully. I am excited about it. It has already brought up some interesting experiences where we need to either be more persistent or more selective with whom and how long we speak with each person. It also helps us zone into our core missionary purpose which is to find, teach, and baptize...inviting all people who have the desire to come unto Christ. It encourages us to teach less with "numbers" and more with the true needs of the people.

 

It`s great to be a missionary. The best part is -- everybody is a missionary. :) Ahhh yeah.

 

Slimy and satisfying. Wait.....that`s the lion king. But yeah. It is satisfying to learn how to be bold, loving, and clear when it comes to raising the Lord`s standard :) I love it. :)

 

Love you all! Have an amazing week!

 

Hna Fernelius

 

"This week was great! I`m realizing how much a positive attitude really invigorates us as well as the sector we work in. Being positive makes everything seem possible and miracles more prone to appear.

 

For example, Saturday and Sunday were challenging because every cita and plan de respaldo was falling through. We contacted a lot, looking for the miracles awaiting us. Though it was a little tiring, we felt good about the promise that God always blesses those who put in every drop of effort they can...and we wanted that blessing.

 

Last night we waited for an investigator who was supposed to meet up with us at the gas station. We waited outside at 8 pm for about half an hour. No one. But then, two little girls came running up to us from down the street and told us their mom sent them. We followed them and had a brief, but eficaz lesson about the families. As it turns out, the father and mother want the gospel in their lives and accepted the invitation to prepare to be baptized. They have yet to await papers in order to get married, but are anxious to overcome the difficulties they face and enter into something much better.

 

It feels good to apply the new norma of what truly counts as a lesson and new investigator. It is helping us focus more on our missionary purpose and also allowing us to tune in more to the families we find. I really like the new norma!"

 

"Zone conference"

These are some very strong people!

A 19 year old recent convert.

Here`s my Skype point-of-view of my family.

Me and my companion today. Models??? Hmmmmmmm? ...*cough* no one needs to answer that.

 

Week 67! "Apple Object Lesson..."

From 5/4/15

Hi family and friends! :)

 

Something cool that happened this week was when I got a call Monday night at about 8:30pm saying that I was invited to a breakfast Tuesday morning at the mission home with.....ZONA SAN RAFAEL!!!! My old zone. So happy :`) sniff. Since a few of the missionaries had had changes when I did or around then, 2 Missionaries traveled from Imbabura/Otavalo to come to the breakfast, and I travelled with 2 other elders to meet up with our gang from la costa. It was SO cool. There was such an excitement when I saw Hna R and the 2 other sisters from our original zone last transfer, as well as my old zone leader and district leaders. I think we could all agree that this was the zone that most felt like family when we were together for the months of February and March. The reason for the breakfast with this zone is because we won a competition of sorts for "milagros de marzo". Each person stood up one by one after breakfast and shared the milagros (miracles) we experienced together during that time. It was very emotional and exciting. But, more than anything it got me reflecting on how great of an impact certain periods of time throughout the mission actually has on us after-the-fact. And how much it builds us and changes us. It`s pretty cool.

 

This week we found a new family: a mother and her two teenage-ish children. They are a miracle family here in our sector because up until now we haven`t really had a lot of success finding progressing investigators. These three are all ears. They met up with us at the church Saturday night so we could give them a tour of the chapel. They felt comfortable and excited. Sister W is 12 and still feels a little unsure, but it`s been a real blessing meeting a family so prepared to learn. Momma P couldn`t attend church because this Sunday and next she has work :( But Boy B went by himself...he even said the closing prayer in Gospel Principles class....even though we never really talked about how to say a prayer before. Just by watching the examples of the rest, he kind of just figured it out by himself! jaja Miracle child.

 

Oh! Our zone leaders are pretty awesome. Elder G is really funny and easy-going. He brings a happy spirit to the environment, and Elder M had previously been an assistant to President Richardson, so he`s absolutely great. Anyway, they asked us to give a little capacitaciòn of ànimos (motivational discurso...uh..message) to our zone on Friday. Hna B and I came up with a brilliant idea to start it off with an object lesson! Yeah..! Object lessons are always a good idea, right?

 

We bought 2 apples and brought 2 knives. We divided the group into 2 and invited them to choose a representative from each side. Competition time.

 

Previously, we had frozen water and created....well, ICE. Mmmmmmhm. We dumped the ice into 2 trash bins we borrowed from the women`s restroom and filled it with cold water.

 

The objective of the competition was to see who of the two elders could peel the apple first, with their hands and the apples submersed completely underneath the ice water. It was great!!! I gave myself a pat on the back for thinking of such a creative way of starting a meeting. Wooooo. Fun stuff. One group won and we gave them little chocolates.

 

As we were about to move on to the point of the activity [that sometimes in the mission we have to go through uncomfortable things (ice water) in order to accomplish a greater motive (winning) and why then do we do it? (to win the prize!)], the missionaries asked if they could eat the apples. Without putting too much thought into it, I responded an "Absolutely go right ahead!!"

 

They both looked at the apple, looked up at each other, shrugged, and devoured those 2 peeled apples.

 

It wasn`t until affffter that Hna B whispered to me, "Why did you tell them to eat the apples?"

 

I thought, "Why not?"

 

But she continued, "They washed it in the trash bin of the bathroom..."

 

"...oh..."

 

It totally surpassed me. Oops. But maybe the elders didn`t notice..?

 

Just after thinking that, one of the elders came up to me and asked, "Hermana, did you sanitize the trash bin before telling us we could eat the apple?"

 

..."No."

 

*Defeated face from the elder*

 

...me- "But elder, you have libre albedrio [agency]. You chose to eat the apple yourself."

 

Yep. That`s one way to clear myself from the guilt and embarrassment. Good job, Hna Fernelius, good job.

 

Hna B is still recovering from embarrassment. It`s now a joke from the elders with whatever food we eat here...."Did you prepare it in the trash bin?" ja. ja. ja. So, Hna B and I plan to make them apple pie for next Thursday and serve it to them in trash bins :p jeje

 

That`s the life of a missionary :) jejeje Love it. Hna B and I are the only sisters in our zone of 16 missionaries. jaja Fun stuff

 

Love you all. Have a great week :) Talk to you Sunday :D

 

Hna Fernelius

 

Also say hi to everyone. I love the families back in our home ward. They are absolutely great people.

 

"....Momma P is a single mother, 36 y/o, and lives with her 2 kids: Boy B and Sister W. We gave them a tour which B and his momma loved, but intimidated W a little I think :) jaja oops. Sister W is 12. Her brother, B, went to church yesterday and enjoyed it. He hardly even knew how to say a prayer but, when called on to say the closing prayer at the end of class (about 25 people in attendance), he stepped up to the front and bravely said a really good, simple prayer. They are so humble!! And very receptive. The power of members' testimonies came into play yesterday when they testified of the Restored church and stated that, "The role of the missionaries is not just to make sure you get to church, but that you progress as a family, enter into covenants with God, and enter into the temple.

 

These members were excellent in setting the standard and inviting the family to pray and act for themselves.

 

The special conference motivated us a lot, and my companion and I are focusing on teaching with inspired questions to allow the lessons to have more individual importance. Right now we also have a couple families who have some big doubts, but a lot of potential to progress. So, I really felt the capacitaciòn about faith and patience applied to us. We are now reading the Book of Mormon with one family to allow the affects of conversion take place in it`s own way and time with them."

 

Tiffany didn't send any captions this week, so you'll just have to make something up as you view each of these fine photos....