From 4/21/14
I wrote a couple personal emails this week and nothing more. I felt a lot of stress after getting a phone call at 3:45 today that my companion and I had to drop off another sister at a bus station to meet with her companions, because that would mean no time to write to you all. But, things like this happen. Especially now that this sister will need to come to us as a trio companionship every now and again since her companion is an Hna Leader. So, although I don`t get to tell any cool stories this week about overwhelming amounts of Fanesca, the Parade of Jesus Christ walking with a cross and actors and crowd of singers following him, Hna U`s gourmet breakfasts, or the day it rained tremendously....I just love you all and hope you are doing great this week.
Okay, okay. So I will tell a little more about the day it downpoured. I guess April is the season of rain. Hna U was JUST in the process of asking me if it`s ever hailed here, and shortly after responding "No," it began to hail frozen grapes of great speed. Then, it began to pour so hard I couldn`t hear my own voice (exaggeration, but pretty close to the truth). Hna U and I walked a good 15 minutes in this rain, until there were no people left outside. We were the only crazy ones still making our way down to our next appointment. Honestly, it was so fun. Our entire sector is set up so that we live on the tip of our sector, and all the other houses in our sector are downhill from there. So as the water poured down these streets and we got closer to the bottom, the streets were pretty much rivers. And we had to cross them. It was so fun. My pencil case even fell out of Hna U`s hands and got carried away in "the river" and we had to chase after it. My poor post-its!
We were soaked. I`m pretty sure my shoes are still trying to recover from it.
And I have a picture of us afterwards. The members we visited were so good to us and tried giving us all their clothes to change into. At the end of the day, I had on my regular missionary attire, a large university jacket on top, pants underneath my skirt, and a fresh pair of socks in hand. We looked so silly, but it was worth the humiliation. The best part was when we helped Hno C and his family dump buckets of water from a room near his terrace because a piece of their ceiling broke through.
Then. The next two days were scorching hot and sunny. What is up with this weather?
Also, we had conference yesterday from Salt Lake for all of Ecuador. It was something so touching and special to hear from Elder Richard G Scott in Spanish. Elder Holland also addressed us. He began and ended his talk in terrible Spanish. But I have never imagined that through it, we would anticipate feeling the Spirit so strongly.
In the large, crowded stake center, with hundreds of eager Ecuadorian eyes on our apostles, there was a air of hope and excitement as Elders Scott and Holland, and Sister Wixom addressed us. They focused on daily prayer, scripture study, and FHE within the home. Every single message focused on the importance of starting in the home. They focused on preparing our children to be missionaries, paying our tithing, and going to the temple. Elder Scott tied it all together at the end by saying that "this is the time to make Christ the center of your home." They said that the most important calling here on Earth and in the eternities is those of father and mother. I thought of Mom and Dad. I am grateful for them and all that you have yet to do and become. I hope to follow that example you have set for us.
This is why we celebrate Easter: because He Lives. He completed the Plan of our Father for us.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve, work, and learn alongside Hna U. And I hope to help her in this transition so that she may start this new area strong and optimistic. And she has shown a lot of confidence and drive in her ability to lead, inspire, and testify. I am grateful for her example.
We are currently teaching the father of the two children who were baptized last week. His name is Pe. He is always so occupied with work that it is often difficult to set aside a special time to meet with him. This week, he mentioned to us, "You are always welcome to come and give me the charlas, but it`s just that I am so focused on work right now that there`s no way I am in a situation right now in my life to commit to the church. I don`t have time for that." I was praying fervently in my mind in that instant, as I looked into his face, that Heavenly Father would give us the gift of discernment and provide us with the strength and words to speak just what he needed.
As Hna U and I asked him introspective questions and offered bits of advice....and listened intently, I feel like there was one thought in our conversation that struck him. The expression on his face changed when we reminded him, 'Sometimes the adversary fills our lives with things that are good, so we won`t have time for the things which are best. And so we won`t have time for the things of the Lord.' His semblante changed from frustrated and a little impatient, to retrospective and receptive. And he recommitted to read the Book of Mormon and pray for a confirmation whether or not this is true.
I really believe that, if we live so long in the light, that the Lord is very capable of hearing and responding to our prayers in the moment we call to Him for help. I know that He is mindful of us individually and our needs. And most importantly, that He is mindful of the needs of our investigators and what will best touch their hearts. I know that He will continue to bless us with guidance and direction and Hna U and I study, pray, and reach out together to lead our investigators back to Christ.
The conference this Sunday was also a very touching and real reminder that the people in Ecuador are select. And that every step that has led the work of the Lord here, with missionaries and members, was divinely established, in detail. Because now is their time to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And I know we each have a role in fulfilling that declaration."
Love you. I wish I could`ve done better with the email this week, because the conference was very impacting. I am grateful to be here!
Love,
Hna Fernelius
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