Mi Querida Familia!
Well.. I guess I aways knew the end would come. Hermana Madrid and I are no longer companions. I feel like I left my other half in Quito. This morning they dropped me off at the bus station to go to my new area in Ibarra, 3 hours north from Quito. Its beautiful here.. More country.. rather than city. Fun story! I was on the bus, daydreaming right? Trying to come up with lyrics to this song I`m writing, and all of a sudden this man comes and sits next to me. He strikes up a conversation, and asks me where I`m headed. I tell him Ibarra. And then he tells me we are in Ibarra. I tell him, Oh I know, I`m waiting til we get to the station. And he`s like.. we past the station. Here I am all by myself in a part of Ecuador that I really don`t know at all. I get off the bus, and un muchacho me ayudò recoger mi maletas. Then I went on the side of the street trying to flag down a taxi to take me to the bus station. Here I am with 3 suitcases, one of them actually broken, all by myself... 12 weeks ago I would have been terrified, but I actually just felt normal, pretty confident actually... because I think my Spanish is pretty good. Anyway, a super nice lady stopped with her taxi and helped me out. We had a really nice conservation.. she liked my hair. And then I invited her to listen to the missionairies. She said yes! And so that is that! I guess I can make dumb mistakes sometimes and make up for it by contacting people. When we got to the station, I found a cabina called my new companion, Hermana Lampero, who actually really wasnt my new companion, but happened to be with my new companion se llama Hermana Silvera.. Hermana Hill`s trainer! We finally made it to the house.. which is super cute, in a nice neighborhood... rather than on the side of a busy road with 5 or 6 discotecas (bars) surrounding it (that was our house in Quito). We went to eat with one of the members, and let me just tell you life out here in the country is a lot different then Quito, we had to eat on the ground, because they didnt have a table. But its OK. And now here we are writing!!
I am so excited to be in Ibarra with Hermana Silvera. It is beautiful here and I am ready to work! Of course I`m sad to leave Iñaquito, but also excited to meet new people and learn new things. I know that if I trust in the Lord and strive to follow the spirit we will find success and happiness. I miss Hermana Madrid, I love her so much. I learned so much from her. She is one of my bestest friends. She also had to leave our sector to be comapnions with an Hermana who`s really struggling right now. I know of no other missionary better for the job. I hope one day we will be able to work in the same zone or district, or maybe she can be my hermana leader.. or maybe in 5 years from now I can take a trip to Honduras and she can show me around or vice versa. Neverthless we had a great week. We were able to teach the Familia Vallez, and they came to church with us yesterday. They have a baptimsal fecha for the 24th of May. Whats really cool is that their mother, Mariana lives here in Ibarra in the rama elegido. She came with us to church in Iñaquito yesterday but also told us that she went to church in Ibarra tambien the week before. I am going to pass her information along to Hermana Lampero to visit. So cool.
Also our two other progressing investigators weren`t able to come to church yesterday. Jorge and Paola. Jorge had to travel to the coast to visit family. We are a little worried about him because he is beginning to have doubts about the Book of Mormon. I rememeber our first lesson with him he had a strong conviction about the Book of Mormon, and now hes saying things like ¨The bible doesn`t say anything about the prophets in the Book of Mormon." More than anything he is confused and we can see how hard Satan is working. Also with Poala, we had a tour set up and everything but she bailed on us because she needed to visit a friend who broke her foot o algo asi. We were really sad and then she said she would come to church but she never did because she had to stay in a meeting for her son`s Catacismo. Paola truly has desires to be baptized she just has things in the way, her priorities aren`t in the right place. Of course, maybe I don`t fully understand, because my priorities are in the gospel 24/7.. but I wish we could be able to get across to her the importance of church assistance. We have tried.. but I don`t think she really gets it.
On the brightside! We were seeing a lot of progress with our recent convert, Francisco. For one thing, Francisco decided to fast for the first time on Monday, in order to find trabajoo... And Monday morning, he recieved a call offering him a job. The first thing he did was call us and thank us for helping him gain the faith to finally trust in the Lord. He came to chruch in Black pants, white shirt and tie. And the ward sustained him to receive the Aaronic priesthood. Last night we had our last noche de hogar with him and the familia martinez. It was very tender. We talked about developing Christlike Attributes, and letting God strengthen our weaknesses. It was perfect. I felt the spirit so strongly, because the lesson in reality, was meant for me as well. Sometimes I doubt my potential and ability as a missionary because of my weaknesses. But in reality, God shows us our weaknesses for the purpose of strengthening us. All weak things can be come strong in him (Ether 12:27) and God doesn`t view us as what we are now, but rather what we can become. I know I have a divine potential and that God can make me strong. I don`t need to dwell on thoughts of self doubt. I need to give God a little more credit than that... a little more credit that he has the power to make me strong.
I hope with all my heart that the new hermanas taking our sector will be able to continue working with our investigators that we left behind. I really have grown to love Iñaquito and I know that I`m leaving our people in good hands but all the same I am sad. Its cool to think that we all teach by the spirit, and so our investitgators will continue to be taught by the same teacher. I am grateful for that. I feel like I have left behind my home... but soon enough this will feel like home as well.
I love being missionary! Also get excited for mothers day! I can skype... And it will probably be around 3 or 4 Utah time. I`m sorry I don`t have a specific time because we have mamitas after church who feed us. But I will send a quick email 5 minutes before I skype. So keep your eyes on our iphones! I am sooooo excited to see Andrew. Like I might cry so just be prepared.
I am learning how to sing "Someday¨" in Spanish. We know that God will protect the righteous. Its a different world here in Ecuador.
Hermana Powley
Well.. I guess I aways knew the end would come. Hermana Madrid and I are no longer companions. I feel like I left my other half in Quito. This morning they dropped me off at the bus station to go to my new area in Ibarra, 3 hours north from Quito. Its beautiful here.. More country.. rather than city. Fun story! I was on the bus, daydreaming right? Trying to come up with lyrics to this song I`m writing, and all of a sudden this man comes and sits next to me. He strikes up a conversation, and asks me where I`m headed. I tell him Ibarra. And then he tells me we are in Ibarra. I tell him, Oh I know, I`m waiting til we get to the station. And he`s like.. we past the station. Here I am all by myself in a part of Ecuador that I really don`t know at all. I get off the bus, and un muchacho me ayudò recoger mi maletas. Then I went on the side of the street trying to flag down a taxi to take me to the bus station. Here I am with 3 suitcases, one of them actually broken, all by myself... 12 weeks ago I would have been terrified, but I actually just felt normal, pretty confident actually... because I think my Spanish is pretty good. Anyway, a super nice lady stopped with her taxi and helped me out. We had a really nice conservation.. she liked my hair. And then I invited her to listen to the missionairies. She said yes! And so that is that! I guess I can make dumb mistakes sometimes and make up for it by contacting people. When we got to the station, I found a cabina called my new companion, Hermana Lampero, who actually really wasnt my new companion, but happened to be with my new companion se llama Hermana Silvera.. Hermana Hill`s trainer! We finally made it to the house.. which is super cute, in a nice neighborhood... rather than on the side of a busy road with 5 or 6 discotecas (bars) surrounding it (that was our house in Quito). We went to eat with one of the members, and let me just tell you life out here in the country is a lot different then Quito, we had to eat on the ground, because they didnt have a table. But its OK. And now here we are writing!!
I am so excited to be in Ibarra with Hermana Silvera. It is beautiful here and I am ready to work! Of course I`m sad to leave Iñaquito, but also excited to meet new people and learn new things. I know that if I trust in the Lord and strive to follow the spirit we will find success and happiness. I miss Hermana Madrid, I love her so much. I learned so much from her. She is one of my bestest friends. She also had to leave our sector to be comapnions with an Hermana who`s really struggling right now. I know of no other missionary better for the job. I hope one day we will be able to work in the same zone or district, or maybe she can be my hermana leader.. or maybe in 5 years from now I can take a trip to Honduras and she can show me around or vice versa. Neverthless we had a great week. We were able to teach the Familia Vallez, and they came to church with us yesterday. They have a baptimsal fecha for the 24th of May. Whats really cool is that their mother, Mariana lives here in Ibarra in the rama elegido. She came with us to church in Iñaquito yesterday but also told us that she went to church in Ibarra tambien the week before. I am going to pass her information along to Hermana Lampero to visit. So cool.
Also our two other progressing investigators weren`t able to come to church yesterday. Jorge and Paola. Jorge had to travel to the coast to visit family. We are a little worried about him because he is beginning to have doubts about the Book of Mormon. I rememeber our first lesson with him he had a strong conviction about the Book of Mormon, and now hes saying things like ¨The bible doesn`t say anything about the prophets in the Book of Mormon." More than anything he is confused and we can see how hard Satan is working. Also with Poala, we had a tour set up and everything but she bailed on us because she needed to visit a friend who broke her foot o algo asi. We were really sad and then she said she would come to church but she never did because she had to stay in a meeting for her son`s Catacismo. Paola truly has desires to be baptized she just has things in the way, her priorities aren`t in the right place. Of course, maybe I don`t fully understand, because my priorities are in the gospel 24/7.. but I wish we could be able to get across to her the importance of church assistance. We have tried.. but I don`t think she really gets it.
On the brightside! We were seeing a lot of progress with our recent convert, Francisco. For one thing, Francisco decided to fast for the first time on Monday, in order to find trabajoo... And Monday morning, he recieved a call offering him a job. The first thing he did was call us and thank us for helping him gain the faith to finally trust in the Lord. He came to chruch in Black pants, white shirt and tie. And the ward sustained him to receive the Aaronic priesthood. Last night we had our last noche de hogar with him and the familia martinez. It was very tender. We talked about developing Christlike Attributes, and letting God strengthen our weaknesses. It was perfect. I felt the spirit so strongly, because the lesson in reality, was meant for me as well. Sometimes I doubt my potential and ability as a missionary because of my weaknesses. But in reality, God shows us our weaknesses for the purpose of strengthening us. All weak things can be come strong in him (Ether 12:27) and God doesn`t view us as what we are now, but rather what we can become. I know I have a divine potential and that God can make me strong. I don`t need to dwell on thoughts of self doubt. I need to give God a little more credit than that... a little more credit that he has the power to make me strong.
I hope with all my heart that the new hermanas taking our sector will be able to continue working with our investigators that we left behind. I really have grown to love Iñaquito and I know that I`m leaving our people in good hands but all the same I am sad. Its cool to think that we all teach by the spirit, and so our investitgators will continue to be taught by the same teacher. I am grateful for that. I feel like I have left behind my home... but soon enough this will feel like home as well.
I love being missionary! Also get excited for mothers day! I can skype... And it will probably be around 3 or 4 Utah time. I`m sorry I don`t have a specific time because we have mamitas after church who feed us. But I will send a quick email 5 minutes before I skype. So keep your eyes on our iphones! I am sooooo excited to see Andrew. Like I might cry so just be prepared.
I am learning how to sing "Someday¨" in Spanish. We know that God will protect the righteous. Its a different world here in Ecuador.
Hermana Powley
