Well! I have good news... I´m writing a song and its really beautiful. I´m mostly just writing it in my head because I don´t really have access to a piano, but I think it captures the mood of missionary work, rain, and then sunshine. You´ll just have to wait and here it!
This week just flew by! We had Zone Conference with President, a couple Noche De Hogares (family home evening), Conferencia de Mujeres (Women´s Conference) and met many new people!! I will share a couple stories from this week that really touched my heart, even though I feel like I could share countless stories, and keep on writing and writing about how blessed we are here in Ecuador.
First I want to start with Hermana Romero. We have been working with Hermana Romero since the 2nd or 3rd week I got here, she is a less active member, while her family is not. She fears judgment from the ward, and judgment from her father, who is not a member. She hasn´t gone to church for about a year. We have been working on gaining the trust of the family, and sharing the importance of perseverar hasta el fin (enduring to the end) for the past little while with the whole family. When we visited them last Saturday, we had the goal of inviting her to the Women´s Conference and escorting her there. Miracles of March.. she accepted the challenge. She quickly showered, and we grabbed a taxi for the church. When we got there, there was no internet connection!! And so we couldn´t watch conference... One of the members was holding up her cellphone, which had the internet, up against the microphone in the chapel so we could here the talks. There were 5 or 6 people trying over and over again to get television connection but it was to know avail. At about 20 past 7, Hermana Hemsely, one of the other missionaries int eh ward, went up to the microphone and suggested that we pray for Heavenly Father to allow the projector to function so we could watch conference. To be honest in my head, I was thinking.. sure.. like that's gonna help. But as Hermana Hemsley was praying I received a sort of mini revelation that truly anything.. is possible with prayer. And that miracles only stop when the faith of man stops, (Mormon 9). Three minutes after Hermana Hemsley prayed, we received connection and were able to watch just in time the video of Teach Me to Walk in The Light that was shown at Women´s Conference. It was beautiful, I looked over at Hermana Romero sitting next to me and she had tears falling down her face, and then I realized I had tears falling down my face. She took detailed notes the entire conference, and when we visited her the next day, sunday, we found out that she went to church for the first time in forever. We shared Lehi´s Dream with her and her family, and she bore her testimony that the Conference and our lesson changed her perspective and that she really really needed that. WOW. The Lord is working through us. And maybe we aren´t baptizing right now, but we are changing lives. And miracles are happening. Maybe not in the ways we expect. But they are happening. We just need to show God our faith. And maybe I couldn´t understand all of Women´s conference in Spanish, but one thing I did learn.. God´s had is in all of his Holy places.. the chapel, the church, the temple, our lives and our homes if we make them so.
Also really quick, we have an investigator, Francsico that is progressing and he has been to church two times in a row! He is starting to befriend the ward members! He told us on sunday that he received an affirmative answer about his baptismal date, April 12th during testimony meeting. Please pray for Francisco that he will be able to keep praying and receiving answers about his choices to come closer to Christ. We had a tour with him on Friday, and right after, viewed a baptism... It was sublime. The baptism was by our zone leader, Elder Murphy and we thought it was the perfect opportunity to show Francisco how baptism works.. He was convinced that we baptized in pools.. not baptismal fonts. Hermana Madrid and I also shared a message after the baptism on Perseverar Hasta al Fin. I didn´t really know what we were teaching until we were standing in front of everyone.. there were about 50 people.. and then Hermana Madrid just went into a discussion of the scriptures in 2 Nephi 31. When it was my turn to talk.. I said a little silent prayer in my heart and I´m not quite sure what I shared. But everyone was smiling. So either they felt bad for me, or could feel the spirit. Afterwards, Hermana Madrid told me I spoke in Perfect Spanish????!! Wow.. I guess Miracles in March are totally real.
Today is the last day of March, and I´m a little bummed. But when we were ending our planning session last night, I felt the Holy Ghost tell us that miracles don´t end in March. they keep on going. As long as we are willing to sacrifice our time, efforts, heart, and will to make little prayers and ask with faith for miracles. Ask and it shall be given unto you. I am so excited for conference this weekend! I am so excited to write down questions and doubts that I have in order to receive divine answers! I advice you all to do the same!! Godspeed!
Con Amor,
Hermana Powley
