Its been a great week considering that I didn`t get to work in our sector for 3 days, Tuesday (divisions with the Mission Nurse), Wednesday (Interviews with Presidente Richardoson), and Friday (divisions with Hermana Mantilla in Santa Anita). Divisions with Hermana Berrett, the mission nurse, was defintiely the other side of normal. We spent all day in the Hospita Metropolitano. I never knew there could be so much to do! My old zone leader was there because he had a seizure, another zone leader in Quito has rheumatic fever and was getting heart xrays (its what strep turns into if you don`t take anitbiotics) which doesn`t even exist in the US, and two other missionaries who had to have foot surgery because mold started to take root in their feet. Gross! Herman Berrett truly rocks my world she just takes everything so calmy, and contacts people in the hospital. Divisions with Hermana Mantilla was also excellent. She`s from Colombia and has family that lives in West Jordan. She was actually in Utah last summer visiting, and we went country dancing and the same place! I probably saw her there and didn`t even know it! Hermana Mantilla is such a powerful missionary I learned a lot of Colombian words with her like obseciar and enfacinar. Santa Anita is pure mountain and my thighs kill from walking up steep roads, but it was worht it. I just love getting to know all the Hermanas, learning from them, and helping them set goals to improve, it`s so fun!
Anyway back to our sector in Bella Aurora: we were very blessed this week. We were able to contact some families with whom we have some follow up visits this week, and we were able to find Blanca. Blanca is very believing but has never assisted a church before in her life. She just really wants to learn more and be closer to God. Hermana Dillman and Hermana Rodriguez contacted her when I was doing divisions with Hermana Mantilla. Blanca accepted a baptismal date sunday afternoon without a hesitation. She says she feels such a strong peace when we are with her. Truly a miracle, finding Blanca. Shes a single mother, but we think she wants her partner to come back. So we have to teach Law of Chastity quick so she understands the importance of family unity. She surprised us yesterday when we talked about the Sabbath Day and keeping it holy. She accepted to live the sabbath when she understood that she couldn`t buy on sunday, surprising us because almost everyone here really struggles with that one, because there is always a huge market sale on sunday in Calderòn.
We are also still teaching Luis Guevara. Luis had a baptismal date for December 6th, but he didn`t come to church on sunday. Its a little tough with Luis right now, because we went to teach him yesterday and he told us he couldn`t get baptized in December and to stop pressuring him. He told us we weren`t patient even though we`ve been teaching him for 2 months. He said he wasn`t ready to be baptized yet. I agree with him 100%. Last week he didn`t read one line from the Book of Mormon, and it is clear that he hasn`t asked God if its true yet. Without a spiritual confirmation from asking God in prayer about the truth, no one is ready for baptism. He told us when he feels in his heart that he should be baptized then he will tell us. I felt in my heart to ask him for forgiveness if he feels like we`ve been impatient, and that that wasn`t our intent. We testified of the gospel and asked him to read the Book of Mormon each day and pray and ask God. If he does those things, he will be ready to be baptized in December. He`ll know, and he wont` have any doubts. We are going to fast for Luis and pray for him constantly. It was a very intense lesson and the spirit was very strong. After we asked forgiveness, Luis started to cry, and he told us he didn`t know why he just felt such a strong love. Luis will be baptized. Everyone just has different timing.
Rosio, is still doing great, she came to sacrament meeting, but later had to fly because she left her little grandaughters at home. We told her that next week she can bring them! I love Rosio so much! We have an excellent lesson planned to teach her this afternoon about how we receive answers to our prayers based off of one the 8 fundamentals that we were studying this morning, receiving revelation through prayer and Moroni 10:3-5.
I would just like to say that the work is hastening! We are seeing it here in Bella Aurora, and I am so sure that other missionaries throughout the world are seeing it as well. I love being a missionary. God answers our prayers. I have been trying extra hard this week to pray specifically in order to be sensitive to the Holy Ghost. I truly testify of Matthew 7:7-8. If we ask it shall be given us. Everytime I ask to be filled with the spirit I can feel a warmth fill me from head to foot. I know God is watching over every one our investigators, and over every single missionary that chooses to follow his will. May everyone have a wonderful thanksgiving!
Con Amor
Hermana Powley
