This week...Ah... was definitely one for the books. First of all... It was a little rough because I got sick on Wednesday and we had to return to the house midday and also stay in the house on Thursday as well due to vomiting and other unpleasant symptoms. But have no fear! The priesthood is true, and after a sweet blessing from the zone leaders I have been healed! I guess with the climate change and something I ate just left me in a bad state, but now I feel chipper! As far as animos I feel all right, just that we weren´t really able to work in the field as much this week.
We have experienced a miracle however, as usual. Our last appointment Saturday night with a recent convert family fell through and so Hermana Pinto wanted to go visit some of our older investigators, la familia Morales. The one and only Jessica Morales was supposedly in Quito recovering from eye surgery. We decided anyway to stop by her house to see if we could share something little with her siblings. When we began to walk down her street, we found her little sister, Fernanda and began talking. We walked with Fernanda back to her house and she told us that Jessica had just barely returned home. We were pretty ecstatic. Jessica is fine! And she is on for her baptism on the 23rd of August. She came to church in order to witness a beautiful testimony meeting. Also we found out that one of the less actives we are working with right now is good friends with Fernanda, so she can help us now with missionary work. I love finding missionary opportunities for less actives who are returning to the church because there is such a power when one shares the gospel, It strengthens and teaches the teacher just as much as those who are taught. The blessings of the spirit! Jessica is so great. She reads the book of Mormon and her prayers are indeed sincere. Even when she was in Quito and she couldn´t read because of eye patches, she made her aunt read to her. She told us that she believes the Book of Mormon is true because of the thoughts that come to her mind while she reads. She feels peace and love and enlightenment. After many challenges and setbacks, Jessica is finally progressing!
Testimony meeting was one of the more beautiful testimony meetings I´ve witnessed here in the mission. One new member of the branch, se llama Natalie went up to bare her testimony. She is a convert of 3 or 4 years I think. She began to express her deep gratitude for the church then she looked at all of us and began to express how deeply she wanted to see her whole family filling up one of the chapel benches. She testified that she knew one day they would be here too. I started to think that its a little detail but its true, there are so many members that come alone to church because their family are not members, and I began to feel extremely grateful for my own little chapel pue at home, Our family of 9 and all of our memories that we hold, all being active in the church. And it made me incredibly sad that not everyone has that same treasure. I want so badly to find a family a help them all come unto Christ, so they can fill their own chaple pue with smiling faces.
Also I may have shed a tear because our sweet convert Siliva, bore her testimony in front of everyone! It was her goal the week after her baptism to be able to share her testimony in sacrament meeting and she did it! It was so so beautiful! Siliva also finished reading the Book of Mormon and has started over. I feel like she is teaching us more than we are teaching her. We gave her a large photo of the Guayacil temple to put on her wall, and she looks at it everyday and is reminded of her goal to go to the temple. She also is super excited to start working on her family history. We had an excellent activity in the church on saturday for the whole district to get to work on family history. A huge step for Ibarra. Many less actives, recent converts and investigators came. Woot woot! .
I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know that I can´t be hard on myself for getting sick because it makes for a bad vibe and that is the last thing we need. I need to always be super optimistic and hopeful for my hijita Hermana Pinto. Sometimes I´m always looking for the ways we can improve and I forget to mention what we do well. I can be better with showering her with praises and showing my appreciation for everything she does. She really is such a help for me. If I focus on my companion, like Christ always focuses on others, I will see a new light come into our companionship. I will feel even more love for her, and also for this work. So for this week! I invite you all that you may look for the good in each one of your siblings, parents, spouses, or friends. That you may tell them what you appreciate of them. Help them see that they are needed. Because we all need each other. Sometimes when things don´t go according to plan, when our investigators we think are true hang up on us and ignore us, when we have to stay in bed curled up in a ball because we´re sick, we need each other. I know that Christ helps us change for the better. Things never go exactly how we want them too but we never can lose hope in Him. I love love love Helaman 10. One of the best chapters for missionary work in my opinion. I invite you all to read and put yourself in Nefi´s position. And write down how you feel!
I love you all and hope that you have an excellent, funfilled week of summer!
Con Amor
Hermana Powley
Facto Ecuatoriano: The toothfairy in Ecuador does not exist. Rather children place their lost teeth under their pillows in hopes of the ratón de los dentes (the tooth mouse) who will come during the night and leave a couple coins in exchange for a tasty morsel (teeth)
