Mi querida Familia,
This week has been great! We have one investigator with a baptismal date, David Chilcañan, 17 years old, who came to church on Sunday all on his own. His dad is inactive and has recently started showing interest in the church. David, on the otherhand is really excited fo rhis baptism. He is reading the book of Mormon and praying. He told us the other day that he has received an answer to his prayers and that the book of mormon is true, so we are pretty excited. Right now we just need to involve the branch more in lessons with him and also help him to keep the Sabbath day holy. David likes to play soccer on Sunday with his friends... I hope that everything works out with David and that he can keep progressing and be a help for his family and his father in returning to the church.
The best part about this week was that we were able to see the beginnings of the fruits of our Fast from fast sunday last week. We fasted that our leaders in the Branch would be strengthened and that we would be able to work with them in a better way. This week, we met with our Ward Mission Leader and told him how we felt… it was a lot like a companionship inventory. And it was great, we ended the meeting feeling more confident in him and he left with the conviction to strengthen his relationship with the branch president. On Sunday, we then met with President Teràn and our ward mission leader together. And it was very effective, we straightened out how we should improve Ward Council, and include the members in lessons, we are also planning talent show this friday wiht all of the Rama. Everyone is a little bit shy in this branch, ther are even some members who don`t even extend a welcome to our recent converts, for example the Young women don`t even talk to Alejandra and Luisa are recent converts from a week ago. We are hoping to help each oraganization build unity, and start with the leaders. I hope that ward council can begin to be more eficaz.( I really can`t think of a word in english sorry). Hermano Alex Romos, our Ward Mission Leader asked the President at the end of the meeting if there was a day this week when he could visit the president at his home. We hope that Hermano Alex will begin to strengthen his relationship and trust in the president, therefore providing a more solid connection between the obra misional and the branch.
I have a cute little story, we were out contacting the other day, and saw a little girl no more than 6 years old sitting on top of a very tall wall. She waved to us from across the street. We went over to say hi. She told us she was babysitting her little brother, and waiting for her older brother to come home from school. We asked her if her parents were home and she said no. We told her that we were missionaries and we would like to come and visti again to share a message with all her family, she seemed excited and told us we could come by the next day and that she didn`t remember her parents phone number. We then said bye and kept walking down the next street to keep contacting. It wasn`t long before she came running over to us with her little 2 year old brother because she had remembered her Dad`s number to give us. Then she ran back home. 10 minutes later, she was back, with a piece of paper, because she realized when she returend home that she had messed up on the number. She was so cute and diligent. Little kids have the purest spirits, I totally understand why Jesus loves the children so much and why we should be like children, pure of heart. Anyway the next day we stopped by her house and m,et the Mom, Maire, who is super sweet and has a little baby in the hospital. We left her with a prayer for help and peace. We ahve an appointment with them for tomorrow. I just have a good feeling about this family!
We also have focused this week a lot in the members and we have received more references in this week then in any other week of this change. So that’s good. We have made a cute little paper to give to all the members. Each paper is centered around cultivating a Christlike Attribute. The idea is that they pick an attribute to improve in, devise a plan in order to devlop this principle, and have a specific blessing in mind that they want to receive from God if they follow their plan. If they do these 3 things, studying the scriptures each day, they will develop the attribute, and see the blessing they desire. As a mission we did this in May. I was focusing on being more virtuous, and the blessing I wanted to see was a family baptized in my sector. In the last day of May, the Familia Vinueza was baptized. Wow right? With effort on our part, we will always see fruits, even if its in the very last moment. We are handing out papers to each member, menos activos, y converso recientes, teaching them the principle behind gaining and acquiring Christlike Attributes. We are hoping that as we continue to check up on the members we will be able to see fruits from this labor in a more loving attitude from the members.
I have a testimony in the love that my savior has for me and for the people of Ibarra. I know that I am responsible to open my mouth, invite people to baptism, and share the warmth and glow of the spirit. I also have a testimony that God wants us to succeed and that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ to fulfill the atonement, allowing us to progress each day, throughout our lives, and throughout eternity. I know that there are moments of joy and miralces in each day, we just have to look for them. When I feel the spirit, and am filled with this testimony, we work harder and more diligently. My goal this month, June, is to be more diligent. Its my new Christlike Attribute that I am working on. Progression is one of the most beautiful things about this church. There is always hope in becoming a better person, family, mother, father, missionary, when we focus on the example Christ set for us. I`m excited to get to work!
Con Amor
Hermana Powley
