Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Week 24 - Ibarra, Ecuador - June 16, 2014

Mi Hermosa Familia,
¿Como estàn? Estoy super emocianada ahora porque voy a entrenar una nueva misionera! Me voy a Quito para recogerla en Miercoles y voy a quedarme en mi casa antigua de Iñaquito para la noche. Despues en jueves ambos vamos a regresar a Ibarra para hacer el entrenimiento. Quiero pasar por mis conversos en Miercoles si tenga tiempo... estoy tan emocianado para regresar a mis casa en Quito aun si es solo por un dia. Tambien Hermana Aravena va a entrenar! Siempre dije a ella que debe entrenar por que es muy buena (vivìamos juntos en Iñaquito), y ella me dijo que si el presidente esta diciendo el mismo, pero ella solo no lo quiere entrenar. Pero, ya va a hacerlo ahora! De repente porque siempre estaba dieciendola que debe, ella deciduò dar consenta! Lo siento que estoy solo escribiendo en Español es porque estoy tan animada y no sè como expresarme tanto en Ingles ahora. Mis pensamoientos son mas en Español que Ingles. Pueden pasar esta parte de mi carta por Google Translator o pedir a Andrew!!  
Translation: "How are you? I 'm Super emocianada (emotional) now because I'm going to train a new missionary! I go to Quito to pick it up on Wednesday and I will stay in my old house Iñaquito overnight. Then on Thursdays both going back to Ibarra for the introductions. I want to go through my converts on Wednesday if I have time ... I'm so emocianado to return to my home in Quito, even if only for a day. Sister Aravena also will train! I always told her I should train that is very good (we lived together in Iñaquito), and she told me that if the president is saying it, but she just does not want to train. But, you will do it now! Suddenly because I was always dieciendola should she give consenta deciduous! Sorry I'm just writing in Spanish is because I am so excited and I can not express myself in English so far. My pensamoientos are more in Spanish than English."

We had a good week as far as finding new investigators and making desafios bautismal. We found a super amazing family of 10 on wednesday, and they all accepted baptism. They are almost exactly the same as our family, with an oldest brother of 17 años, and then a younger sister (me) of 15 años, and bueno... 3 more sisters (in our family theres only 2 more sisters) of 13, 12, and 10. And then 2 boys, like matt and tom, of 8 and 6 años, and a baby girl like Jane whos 1 year older. When we taught them the spirit was so strong. I am so excited to keep teaching this family. There is a problem in that they all work together making bricks... on sunday. So we hope they will be able to feel the spirit strong enough to make the sacrifice in order to keep the sabbath day holy and come to church. They also live very high up on the mountain, where there is no phone service and so we can`t really contact them. But oh well! We just will have to visit them a lot.

Also fun fact: I received a letter from Hermana Madrid, and she was able to tell me about our converts, Francisco, and the Familia Puma! Francisco passes the sacrament each sunday, and he is now 2nd counselor in the young men`s presidency! Also the Familia Puma toda via es super animada para ir a la capilla, and they are preparing now to be sealed in the temple! I feel sooooooo good! I know that I am just an instrument in the hands of the Lord. I feel so blessed to be able to see the way he molds and shapes his children.

 We have a new goal in our zone, that we won`t count new investigators until we`ve invited them to baptism. This has helped us so much. It makes our numbers seem more real. And also pushes us to stay focused in baptism and see the people who will progress. Only one thing that I regret this week. We have been suggesting ways to help the branch be more united. And so we suggested a talent show, but basically the way our ward mission leader presented the idea, was that it was under the direction of the obra missional. And so our ward mission leader asked us to prepare the activity and organize everything. We did everything we could, we invited menos activas, conversos recientes, and members, and investgators alike. The event was a hit. It was one of the first activities that the rama presented where an overflow of people came. I even sang a little bit of opera. But the thing is we arrived at the church at 5:30 to help preapare this activity and didn`t leave until 9:15. Almost 4 hours of our day lost. And because of this.. we weren`t able to visit a family of 10, new investigators. And this family`s feeligns were hurt and they didn`t come to church on sunday. Right now I am trying to decide in my mind if it was really worth it to waste so much time in the activity. We know the ward is a little weak and needs a helping hand. After the activity, the branch now appears more united, and the president filled with more love and concern for the other memebrs. We saw on sunday how instead of rushing to his office after the meeting he stopped to greet everyone he saw. And this was because of the huge ice breaking talent show that we prepared. Even better, he told us on sunday that the rama was going to prepare another talent show for august, and this time the obra missional won`t be in charge. Anyway.. this is my dilemma. I don`t want to waste time, I want to always be working in order to see results.. o sea personas veniendo a la capilla.

But I know that everything will work out. Maybe now the members can help and trust us more and we can work together to help this family of 10. I know the Lord has a plan. I just always want to be obedient para sentir los susurros del espiritu santo. Sè que tengo que confiar aùn mas en Èl. Sè que Èl està dispuesto para ayudarme solo tengo que tener una oracion silente en mi corazon todo tiempo. Estoy emocianado para servir y entrenar esta cambio. Me siento que Èl confia en me tanto que estoy lista para entrenar. La quiero mucho mi familia! Hasta la proxima!
Con Amor
Hermana Powley