Mi Querida familia,
Well! After 4 and half months in Llanochico, transfers were bound to happen. Hermana Espinoza completed her misión and I got transferred to San Pablo, Otavalo Sur. My new companion is Hermana Gonzalez and she is Sister Training Leader too! She was also trained by Hermana Madrid so we are literally misión sisters. Also we are the dream team. She is from Machala, Ecuador and also finishing her misión this transfer. She is so cute and powerful and fun and I could just go on and on. Plus our sector is gorgeous. We wake up every morning to a view from the movies. The beautiful clear lake San Pablo reflecting the grand, colosal, picturesque Imbabura volcano. Its actually the same vlocano that I lived under in Ibarra, but we are just on the other side! This sector is mainly inhabited by the native indigenous of Ecuador. Its so cool. Everyone speaks Quichua (or the language of the Lamanites) Yes. We are teaching pure lamanites. All the men here where their hair in long black braids and the women carry their babies on their backs. Our Ward misión leader could be Moroni. Our bishop kind of looks like Nephi. No big deal. I love it here. We are seeing so many miracles. My companion told me that its been kind of a hard sector the past year but I told her no. We just come to do the Lord´s will and he will guide us to find those people who are prepared.
This week we have an investigator with Fecha! A March Miracle for sure. Her name is Cecilia Farinango and she 64 years old. She is the bishops mother and has been some sort of eternal investigator. She came to church on sunday and we went to visit her afterwards. And she finally accepted a baptismal date for the 1st of March. We talked about how baptism completes repentance and makes it possible to enter into God´s kingdom. We used pictures because she doesn´t know english very well. When we made the invitation to be baptized, we showed her the picture of Jesus with his arms opened wide to receive us (the picture of the 2nd coming) and we told her that Christ was waiting for her. She said that she is now willing to set a date! What a miracle.
We also have plans this week to work with a couple families where not all our members. This is the month to see miracles so we are going to return to work with them after many missionaries have already tried. Two families in specifiic, the family Kashawa and the family Chicaysa, both have fathers who are not members. We met with both the families this past week and had some inspiring lessons on the fast and commited each family to fast for their fathers to enter into the waters of baptism this month. We fasted too. We hope to see miracles this week for these families. God´s plan is to bring everyone to the temple. That families can be exalted and not just saved. Through much prayer and hope and love we will see fruits this week.
Also more miracles! We were out teaching the other day and someone passed us on the road and said Hermanas! Her name was Cisa and she is a member of the church too. The ward is huge so we were working in a new area so we were excited to find a new member to visit with us. In that exact moment she joined in on the lesson and helped us with translating Quichua. Then another member came and we went on splits to visit more people. I went with Cisa, we talked about the mission and she expressed how she wanted to serve.It wasn´t until the end of the day that she told me that she was inactive in the church and that as she was accompanying us she was able to feel a new desire to go to church. Thad day we found many more less actives to begin teaching. Hermana Espinoza and I have a goal to rescue 7 less actives this month. Yesterday we rescued 2 and throughout all this month we are going to be working hard to rescue and teach Cisa, Andy, Nancy, Estela, Jonathon, Melany, and Erica. We might even exceed our goal!
Hey Everyone, I know the gospel is real. I know when we give up our whole will and heart and focus 100% on the Lord we see miracles. I love Hermana Gonzalez, we are so excited to help the members in Barrio San Pablo, each day I feel spiritually enriched. I feel the presence of angels in this sector. We are fulfilling ancient prophecies from the Book of Mormon, bringing the direct Descendants of Lehi to the light. I know the Book of Mormon is true. Being here is just strengthening my testimony even more of the restoration, of Gods love, and that I am nothing, as to my strength I am weak. We are about our Father´s business. Have a great week everyone! We love you and pray for you!
Con Amor,
Hermana Powley
