Week 61 - Ottavalo - March 2, 2015 (settled in a new area)

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

Week 60 - Ottavalo - Feb 23, 2015 (transfer)

Mi querida familia,

And the verdict has been made! Hermana Espinoza is dead and I have been moved to Ottavalo. OK she`s not really dead she just finished the misión.

"Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." D&C 123:17

Now that we have changes I feel kind of bittersweet, but I also know that we have left a legado in Bella Aurora. I am excited to get to work in Ottavalo with Hermana Gonzalez. We are going to see miracles. We just have to give everything to the Lord and trust in him. I feel like this week I experienced a grand change of heart. It started last wednesday. We had a very spiritual weekly planning sesión even though we both knew that we wouldn`t be together for the following week. We left the house with a feeling that if we just submit to the will of God, He would lead us to where He wanted us to be, but we had to let go of our own selfish desires. We accepted that he would guide us and in order to feel the spirit to be guided we held prayers in our hearts. We found many new investigators this past week, but one, specifically I want to talk about. 

 

Maria Guaman was a contact from a couple weeks back, who we kept on seeing on the bus. We were able to make a concrete appointment with her for saturday night. When we arrived at her house the spirit was tangible. She told us how she knew she needed to learn more and she wanted to change her priorities from wordly things to godly things. That impacted me. What if all our investigators were like that? If we all just wanted to do what God wants instead of what we want? Thats they key of the góspel and the first great commandment: Love God with all our heart might mind and strentgh. We continued to teach and testify of the restauration and in the end she accepted to be baptized. When we asked her why, she said, "Hermana´s  you´ve taught me a lot and I know I still have much to learn, but if there´s one thing I have felt tonight that I never before have felt is that now I know with surety that God loves me."  We asked her to offer the prayer and she willingly bowed her head to talk with God for the first time, a miracle in and of itself. When she finished tears filled her eyes and she told us that God sent us to guide her. The next day she came to church and loved it. As Hermana Espinoza and I talked walking home that night we rejoiced in how Maria truly understood the purpose of Lesson 1, she felt that God loved her. Thats why we teach Lesson 1 the restoration, so others can feel of God`s love and understand that his church is once again on the earth. I have felt more of the love of my father this week than ever before and it is because I have forgotten myself and gone to work.

We also found a very sweet family, the Familia Echesi, also the family Herrera, and the Family Lema. All three are genuinely curious and have true desires to change the course of their lives in order to experience peace and joy in their families. The cool part is we found two of these families just walking around looking for peole who needed help, be it carrying huge bags of choclo, or washing clothes by hand. We rejoice in finding as we serve and serving as we find. People truly feel the pure love of Christ as we serve. As we have strived to follow God`s will with mind and heart this week we have been able to find more serving opportunites, which is exactly what Christ did when He was on the earth. He loved. He served. He taught. We can do the same be us members or missionaries.

 

I love to serve the Lord. Its true that I am sad to leave Bella Aurora but I know the Lord has a plan for me here in Ottavalo. Its a beautiful place and as we continue to put God first, to trust and ask him for help before drawing to quick conclusions I know we will see fruit, be it in the members themselves, investigators, less actives, we will change the world.

 

 

Con Amor
Hermana Powley

Week 59 - Quito Bella Aurora - Feb 16, 2015

Mis queridos,

How are you all doing? I have learned a lot this week. I am so grateful for personal and companionship study. I am so grateful for my sweet companion Hermana Espinoza and her amazing example. I am so grateful for orange-papaya juice.. the next big thing. I am also so grateful for Pdays where we just decide to stay in and give each other pedicures. I´m also grateful to have been able to go on splits with Hermana Dillman and Hermana Lefrant in San Carlos and Iñaquito. They both are great examples and I have been able to learn so much form them.  

To be honest, I haven´t  really been able to spend a  whole lot of time in our sector this week. I had splits in San Carlos with Hermana Dillman, and wow let me just say.. its a beautiful place. We had a service project where we helped a recent convert move to a different home. Literally we moved a huge couch from a 3 story apartment to the ground. Still not sure how the couch didn´t break, but miracels happen when missionaries are put to work. Also they rewarded us with grilled cheesed sandwiches, pringels and salsa.. a few American delicacies. Then I had divisions in Iñaquito... my first sector! It was definitley a blast to the past especially because exaclty a year ago we were stepping off the plane onto Ecuador soil. Hermana Lefrandt and I found a ton of new people to teach and we stopped by my favorite panaderia and the owners recognized me and gave me a huge hug. It was very special:) But Wow.. Hermana Lefrandt is a powerful missionary. I feel like I learned so much more from her than her from me. She always finds cool ways to connect the gospel to peoples lives. And she has no shame. A family walked past us as we were knocking doors, and we both looked at each other, and started to run to catch up with them. Hermana Lefrandt just yelled, "Hey! We need to talk with you guys!" and they turned around and listened.. such boldness I have never seen. 

Even though, in our sector we don´t have any investigators that are progressing, we sacrificed for the other missionaries and I know the Lord has his own timetable. We all just need to smile and have fun because we´re the Lord´s servants. We are also on the winning side. Even though some people tell us that they burned the Book of Mormon and they don´t want anything to do with us, we just need to go out every day and every week with MIGHT and LOVE. I know that everything will be OK. I´m just putting everything in His hands now. I´m going to stay on target with positive thinking. Negative thoughts only come from Satan. Doubts must be doubted before our knowledge and hope. I feel like I see so many miracles on divisions, and I truly feel like an instrument in the Lord´s hands when I go out with the other Hermanas. In my own sector, we are still seeing miracles. Strengthening members, helping with Family History, and helping recent converts build their testimonies. We are seeing progress!

I know that the Christ is the Master, and our creator. He is The First and The Last. Es nuestro abogado ante el Padre. Aunque hemos hecho muchos errores, Sé que nunca está demasiada tarde de cambiar o dejar habitas viejas. El Señor es nuestra guía. Entonces aun que las personas nos rechazan, solo se acerca nuestro entendimiento de la vida de nuestro Salvador. Estoy feliz de ser misionera. Sé que el nos forma y nos hace instrumentos perfectos, a fin de que demos música que cambie el mundo. Tenga una buena semana! Oren para las personas en Ecuador!!

Con Amor

Hermana Powley

Week 58 - Quito Bella Aurora - Feb 9, 2015

Hola Mis Queridas!

How are you all liking February? In Ecuador February is the month of Carnaval. Which means everyone runs around like crazy throughing eggs, flour, silly foam, and dirty water at each other. People even say that God plays Carnaval because in Febraury the rain begins. But not just any rain, downpour or aguacero. Its been a week of puddles and rivers and wet shoes:) This week has also been a week of meetings! It just flew by! Our investigators from last week kind of flew down the wayside as well. Turns out that Roberto is a member of a Pentacostal church, and they told him a bunch of garbage about us. So he told us he wasn’t interested anymore. God led us to him, so we were a little confused why he told us no, but everyone has their agency. Maybe someday in the future he will accept the gospel. Henry got a job offer and worked all this week so we couldn`t teach or find him. We`ve had to drop a couple families that aren`t progressing. But Oh well. We always must remember that NO means Nueva Oportunidad (New Oportunity) and we carry on with smiles!

On the bright side, we have a sweet family we are working with in the bottom of Yuraq. The Familia Tonato. It’s a little hard to contact them on the weekend to help them come to church. But the other day, Hermana Espinoza saw the mom, Maritza walking back from the store with her groceries in one hand and her book of Mormon in the other. Its little details like this, that keep us moving forward. Knowing that some people go to creative means like Maritza to meet commitments.

Also the other day, we had a lesson with Bridget, a less active and her mother Christina, a non –member. I remember walking up the steps to her house, just saying a quiet prayer in my heart that the spirit would testify to Christina the importance of the doctrine of Christ. As we taught the plan of salvation, the spirit filled the room and we invited Christina to baptism. The spirit was so strong she accepted! Christina had plans on Sunday to visit her Mom, so she told us that next Sunday for sure she would come to church with her daughter in order to prepare for a baptismal date.  Bridget lit up when her Mom accepted the challenge, filling Hermana Espinoza and I with hope and joy.

We also taught the Gospel Principles class on Sunday, it was so fun! The topic was Adam and Eve and the Fall. So we brought a ton of fruits to the lesson for visual effect, and as members of the class answered questions they could pick a fruit to eat. Not a surprise that the last fruit to be chosen was the apple.  (Everyone here seems to think that the apple was the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden) Rocio wanted to answer every question and she was very animated as we taught the lesson. We just love seeing her progress. There is an Hermana in the branch who`s going to have a baby, and Rocio bought the baby a blanket and knit the baby a cute little hat. Now she`s just finding opportunities to serve and preparing for the temple!

 

I know that the Lord will guide us as we trust in him and lean not unto our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). I have decided to start reading the Book of Mormon again. This time I am highlighting in different colors everything that has to do with trusting in the Lord with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. I want to be the 4^th missionary. This is my time to be on the Lord`s time. There is no other time like this time. Its time to be an instrument in the Lord`s hands. I know that his atonement saves us daily. We may be fallen from God`s presence, but Christ lifts us up as we remember him and repent. I know the gospel is true. I love the Lord and I love to be a missionary.

Last week the Mission President`s wife, Hermana Richardson accompanied Hermana Espinoza and I to a couple of lessons (it was fun cuz we went in her car) She told us about a dream she had and its such a great visual of life so I want to share it with you. She dreamed that she was walking along a path and holding on to a ski tow rope. She was walking along holding on to the rope and it was easy. She could let go for a couple seconds, drift for a little and grab back on to the rope. But then something happened. As she kep walking along with the rope she realized that the ground below her gave way into a huge ravine, or dich. Soon she was holding on to the cable, but this time, dangling on for her life. Hermana Richardson said she had to make it to the other side of the ravine holding fast to the cable. Hermana Richardson told us the cable is like the iron rod, or our scripture study. There are times in our life when we can let go for a little and be fine. But there come times where the scriptures are our only lifeline. Where if we let go we fall, and we can face eternal consequences. Let us choose to hold fast to the iron rod.



Have a wonderful week everybody!

 

 

Con Amor

Hermana Powley

Week 57 - Quito Bella Aurora - Feb 2, 2015

Hola mi querida familia,

This week was a week of quality, not quantity. And we experienced success! Let me start out describing a new investigator whom we found yesterday, Roberto, 21 year old Christian. We had actually met Roberto earlier last week, but it was at night and his friend was doing most of the talking, so we didn`t quite remember him yesterday when we met him walking down the road and he smiled at us and said "Hermanas! ¿Como estàn?!" It took us a second to remember him. And just like that, he invited to his house to meet his mom and his cousin. He told us that he was out walking because he went to buy some medicine for a headache, but as soon as he bought the pill his head stopped hurting. He said it was strange,  but that right after his head stopped hurting he ran into us. As we taught Roberto and his cousin Soñia about the priesthood which Christ gave his apostles, Roberto asked a question I had never heard before, he asked if there was a way he could receive the priesthood. We both felt the spirit and explained that it had been restored through a modern-day prophet, and as we recited the first vision, tears welled up in his eyes. Roberto accepted a baptismal date for February 28th. We gave him a Book of Mormon and pray for his progress. He was definitely placed in our path by our Heavenly Father and is prepared.

Also we have been visiting, Rocio`s son, Henry over the past couple weeks. Henry is 26, and he hasn`t been able to go to church because of work, but this week we taught him the Plan of Salvation, explaining the importance of keeping commandments and trusting in Christ. We referred to Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy and he committed to not work on Sunday. He also accepted to be baptized the 21st of February. He came to church this sunday with Rocio and the members loved him! Sadly he couldn`t stay for Priesthood (the 3rd hour) so we are going to extend his baptism date for the next Saturday, or possibly a weekday because the branch temple trip is that day. But Henry is so great. He is very humble, and he has faith that the Lord will answer his prayers as he asks to know if the Book of Mormon is true.

This week Hermana Espinoza and I have been able to feel the immense love of our father in heaven as we have taken the time and effort to make sure that members are with us to visit our investigators. Sometimes when we think of the word diligence, we get caught up in contacting as many people as we can, when really diligent missionary work is planning, studying,  taking the time to team up with the branch, serving the people with simple acts of kindness, and reevaluation. In that way, we see fruits and we see progress!

Funny story. We had to renew our visas on tuesday all the missionaries from my group because we`ve reached our year mark in Ecuador. As we were waiting in the 3 hour line to renew our visas, the senior missionary Elder Williamson sat next to a priest from the Catholic Church and started practicing his spanish with him. So funny. The sacerdote (priest in spanish) was actually young and friendly. They got along really well and the priest didn`t have any mean things to say about the Mormon church. A couple of the nuns sitting around him were a little startled. By the time we could finally leave, Elder Williamson (probably he is about 70 years old) said, "Padre, dame un ambrazo" And they hugged. Elder Williamson is so hilarious you just have to know him. It was cool.

This week I would like to put emphasis in a word that I love: smile. The other day, I was troubled because we hadn`t contacted too many people, and my nose had been running the whole day with a throbbing headache. It was a day in which I actually pictured in my head as we were out proselyting my warm bed at home.  When we got home for the night I remember praying that the Lord would help me know how to focus my thoughts and actions in the work even when we feel tired and weak. Just one word came to my head: Smile. Attitude is Everything. When we feel like we just can`t take anymore, Smile. When people reject, smile ad testify. When walking up a dirt hill, smile. We belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, there is no better reason to smile in the whole world.

The next day, all the missionary leaders in Quito were privilged to have a mission council with Elder Craig C. Christensen of the Presidency of the 70. Hermana Dunne and I sang "Yo sè que vive mi Señor" to start out the meeting (with stuffy nose and all) but the spirit was there. When Elder Christensen started the discussion, he told us a story of when he was Mission President in Mexico and there was an area with little success. As he prayed to know what to do, he received revelation to send sister missionaries. The difference was huge. The sisters in their first month had 8 baptisms and in the 2nd month 16 more. When he asked the sisters what they were doing, they told him nothing.. just that they couldn`t hold back their smiles. Elder Christensen said that as missionaries our success is related to attitude, and our smiles reflect our attitude. It was like a confirmation to my prayer the night before. We just have to smile and always see the silver lining. I testify that I know our Redeemer lives and that his mercy is sufficient after all we can do. I love him and I love to be a missionary. Have a great week everyone!

Con Amor,
Hermana Powley

Week 56 - Quito Bella Aurora - Jan. 26, 2015

Familia --

As we start the last week of January, I am blown away by how fast time goes by. This week was up and down and up again. Even though we still don`t have investigators progressing we have high hopes for this week! There are a couple families that we have found and contacted this week, plus a couple old families that we have re-found, that we are excited to teach this upcoming week. I will be honest, this week was a little bit of a sick week. I got strep throat wednesday morning and trudged through the day triumphantly until 9 pm, then thursday I was a dead log. We called the nurse assistant and then Hermana Hancey the mission nurse. She scheduled an appointment with a doctor in the Hospita Metropolitano, where for the first time I had a doctor`s appointment in Spanish (crazy.. there are still so many words in Spanish I need to learn), and was given a lovely shot of Penicilin. Thursday was basically a lost day other than a couple contacts we made on the bus and taxi rides. Planting Seeds. Friday and Saturday were much better days.

Real quick.. the miracles of the week.. Branch Conference. We worked really hard with members to help us visit all the recent converts who aren`t going to church. And members of the branch council truly went above and beyond to help the inactive converts come to church this sunday. The past month we`ve only had 1 or 2 converts coming to church a week (out of 13) But this sunday we had 4! The best part is, Mariana and Alexandra Altamirano came, and they had told us a little more than a month ago that they would not go back to church. With much love and care, we were able to help them see reason and return. Jenny Simbaña, another recent convert, came to church too, she is practically inactive, but the relief society president along with others in the branch have been helping her and she came on sunday! Rocio is doing great as well. We can count on her and her calling is underway!


Branch conference was amazing. I left church on sunday feeling so edified. One of the speakers from the stake presidency made a really cool connection. He talked about Cain and Able. They both gave sacrifices to the Lord in the beginning. But they gave different types of sacrifices. Able understood what God asked and Cain did not. Cain gave what was easier, just a few plants. This simple mistake, not sacrificing enough, culminated into all that we know Cain famous for. Now we live in modern times. Christ came. He told us that we no longer should sacrifice animals but a broken heart and contrite spirit. Now the great question: Are we giving a partial sacrifice or do we understand the nature of the sacrifice Chrsit asks? Are we like Cain or Able? Be honest with yourself. Are we holding back part of our heart? Do we let selfishness, envy, and pride get in the way of truly repenting each day? Are we giving everything? I know that I still need to give more. His talk definitely got me thinking. We must MAGNIFY our callings in every moment. Not just our callings as members or missionaries of the church, but also our first and foremost callings as daughter, son, brother, sister, mother, father, or spouse. I invite everyone reading this to make a self inventory of how much we are giving to the Lord.

We have focused on our diligence this week and it has payed off. Maybe all our contacts didn`t come to church, but the Lord blessed us with these sweet recent converts with whom we´ve been trying to help for all my time here in Bella Aurora, and they finally came to church. I know that everyday as we continue to work and be focused 100% on the mission, we will be blessed and be able to see the changes in those we teach. Its not easy, but being a disciple of Christ isn`t supposed to be. I know that He lives. I know that he calls prophets. I know that the truth is restored and we are called to declare it from the rooftops.. maybe not literally. The field is white and ready to harvest. Have a great week everyone!



Con Amor
Hermana Powley

Week 55 - Quito Bella Aurora - Jan. 19, 2015

Mi Querida Familia,

"Mas tu voz escucharè, `calma yo te guiarè.´" This week I have been able to learn even moreso that we need to rely on the Lord in EVERYTHING we do. I was reading in Luke when Christ tells his disciples and the Farisees, "Remember Lots Wife." Lets think about that warning for a moment. Lot`s wife looked back. Even more than looking back we can understand that her heart was placed in the things of the world. She looked back to her past. As missionaries and members of the church we can never look back. We can`t look back, changing our view towards the world, we can`t look back and be focused on past mistakes or choices. That's why Christ came and paid the price, so we don`t have to look back. We need too look forward. To the promised land.  As of right now we don`t have any investigators coming to church. But today we are not looking back. We have goals and a new week. Our teaching pool is dwindling but its a blessing in disguise. We fasted to be able to find families that progress. When we drop investigators its like finding a new opportunity at the same time. A new opportunity to teach those who are ready and prepared to make changes in their lives. And we won`t be able to find these people if we don`t depend in El Gran Maestro, Jesucristo, or in other words lets all look forward! 

We still have miracles everyday. On Wednesday we had a visit with a family that we visit on and off, the Familia Males, and we taught the Restoration so well until they understood that they needed to be baptized by someone who had the authority. I will admit I was a little nervous for this lesson. I just remember praying in my heart that God would give me and Hermana Espinoza strength. And he did. The spirit was so strong in that lesson. We challenged them to pray and see if Joseph Smith was a prophet. And they said they would come to church, but the adversary works hard too, and they had to go to Otavalo last weekend. We jsut have to shelter them this week so that they can go to church next week. But this family is solid. they have so many desires to change and a genuine curiosity. 

Also our recent convert, Rocio came to church on sunday and a member of the stake high council came to speak. He came to greet us the missionaries before the meeting and told us he was going to talk on family history. But when he got up to talk, he just testified of tithing and temple attendance. It was inspired and the spirit was there. After all three meetings we started talking to Rocio and she was full of questions about how to start paying her tithing so she could attend the temple with the branch at the end of February. Miracles! She is the best. We love Rocio. We are also teaching her son, but he disappeared off the face of the planet this weekend so he couldn`t come to church. Oh well. We`ll get him next week.

This week we had an amazing Capacitacion Especializada (Special Traning). We rewatched Lynn G. Robbins and Jorge Klebingat`s talks from General Conference, and talked about diligent repentance. I NEED to be more diligent. I need to let virtuos thoughts of diligence garnish my thoughts unceasingly :) I have set a goal to repent for specific things in my prayers each night. I will meditate on what I need to change at the end of the day and write in my prayer journal (idea tagged from Herman Richardson) what I need to repent for. That way we will be able to target our progress in a more thoughtful and thorough way.  We make mistakes each day, and without repentance we aren`t asking for Christ`s help in the changing process. The purpose of our life is to repent.  Also recently, we as a mission have been memorizing The Living Christ.. it has been such a blessing. No matter what people say, I can always testify of the savior and the vocabulary from The Living Christ helps me testify with even more power and concrete faith. So great to use the words of apostles and prophets when testifying of Christ, which just proves through the spirit that Christ`s true church has been restored! I know that Christ is at the head of this church. I know that we are endowed with power to preach the restored truth to the world. We are serving our fellow man, and we are serving God. I love being a missionary!

Con Amor,

Hermana Powley 

Week 54 - Quito Bella Aurora - January 12, 2015

And another change begins! I am staying here in Bella Aurora with Hermana Espinoza, I´m excited to keep working with her and to reach some new goals. Also, I´m excited for all the new Hermanas in our zone. It will be nice to help Hermana Corne, Hermana Saragoza, and Hermana Wight get accommodated to their new sectors, and two of the other Hermanas in Quito are training...what fun!

This week we still don´t have investigators that have accepted baptismal dates. That doesn´t mean we´re not challenging people to be baptized, just that many people aren´t ready yet. I feel like as I start this change, patience is a virtue. Sometimes when people just don´t want to act, it nags on me.. and I just want to change their attitudes! But we can´t do that, we just have to respect and invite and pray with faith that God will lead us to those who are prepared. I will be working on the Christ like attribute of patience this change as I worked and focused on humility the change before. I can sense a difference. When we make goals to become more like Christ, he is beside us cheering us on. You are all invited to choose an attribute for this month to develop, through scripture study, prayer, and action. Send feedback! If anyone knows of good talks on patience and hope, send them my way!

This week every time we stood up and testified of the restoration, my testimony grew that much more. This week we have strived to follow the spirit in everything we do. We had an impression to focus on the Doctrine of Christ with everyone  (Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Confirmation, and Enduring to the End) Ironically, many times this week, investigators with whom we have been teaching lately told us to stop pressuring them, and we´ve had to leave quite a few. It just goes to show, that the adversary works hard, He tells people that its enough to simply believe Christ exists... that no matter how one acts in this life we all will reach heaven. A great lie. Many place their fear of man before their fear of God. We all face moments in our lives where we have to be brave. At times when pleasing God is socially unaccepted, at least once in our lives, we have spoken merely to please the crowd...but we need to change! (See Lynn G. Robbins talk, "Where do you Face?" from Conference October 2014).  Many don´t like to change because its not easy. They just want us to visit them, bring peace to their home and then leave them to do nothing in return. I wish with all my heart that we can just find and keep those who meet commitments. Constantly we promise blessings, and explain Christ´s doctrine, which is in essence.. change and progress. For a reason, we felt inspired to focus on Repentance and Baptism this week.. we had to let those people go because the Lord has others prepared.

Counting our Blessings. One miracle this week was Sunday night, we went to visit a family with whom we have been on and off visiting for a month or two. They have progressed, especially the husband since we began visiting them. The husband, Alberto Males told us last night that he was going to go to church with or without his wife next week. Alberto never has thrown out promises like that. He has never committed to any of our invitations before. The spirit filled the room. I can´t describe how much love I felt in that instant. I know that he will keep his word, and these first steps will make all the difference in Alberto´s conversion. We are hopeful to have many fruits this change. Its my 3rd change here, and I am learning that I need to change.. be more patient and loving, and selfless. I need to reach out to people. I need to dive into the water to find people, instead of just casually waiting with my fishing pole in the water. I need to know their desires their hopes their dreams, and then bring them out of the depths of sin and show them the light of Christ. This is only possible with the guide of God himself. He will be with us if we are with him. This week has been very edifying and I am grateful to the Savior for helping me see my weaknesses. Now! To work!

Con Amor
Hermana Powley

PS: Also divisions with my hometown sister, Hermana Hill! Love her so much! A super excellent missionary who simply glows:)

Week 53 - Quito Bella Aurora - Jan. 5, 2015 - The New Year!

Mi Querida Familia,

Espero que tuvieran una feliz dia el 31 de Diciembre. Aunque que yo no estaba allá, espero que comieran mucha torta y participaran en hacer mucho fuego artificial. 

In Ecuador the new year is even bigger than christmas. As soon as christmas ends, everyone starts parading paper maché statues on human size people with extremely ugly faces along side the street. On New Years eve, they burn all of them. Also men dress up as women and its pretty convincing. They´ll come up to you on the street and start dancing in an umcomfortable way until you give them money. We tried to avoid them. No one works this day, and almost everyone gets very drunk. It was also my birthday! Best birthday ever! At midnight there were fireworks in the neighbors yard and all the way up the hill. It kind of sounded like Quito was getting bombed. Not only do Ecuadorians burn human size clowns at midnight, but they also burn the old stuff they have accumulated throughout the year in a bon fire. We had a lot of cardboard boxes along with old clothes and supplies that previous missionaries have left in the house, so we gave everything to the neighbors to either keep or burn. It felt good to give people free clothes, and even better to clean the house! 

Aside from the cultural facts, this week was great in some aspects but also slow in other aspects. I was able to do divisions with Hermana Henderson and Hermana Mantilla which was awesome. With Hermana Henderson we were able to meet some of her goals and find a lot of new investigators. Hermana Henderson loves church history and I was able to learn a lot of cool things with her! Divisions with Hermana Mantilla were also great. We contacted and talked with a lot of people, and almost got attacked by two drunk guys. They may have been following us, because we met them in the early afternoon and at night they showed back up. One of them grabbed my hand and wouldn´t let go, but with super strength I broke free and we ran. They kept saying teach us la palabra de Dios… And we were like just take the pamphlet and leave us alone! To lose their tail, we crossed a busy street, caught a taxi, and made it home safe. Who knows maybe one day they will read the pamphlet we gave them and be converted to the gospel. We hope.

It was a little bit of a slower week due to all the parties. There were a couple nights where we went home 30 minutes to an hour early to finish studies we had missed in the morning because it was impossible to contact. Throughout the day we were truly able to exercise our faith because this week the rejection was unusually high.

I feel good about this week because we were diligent in contacting all the families that we came across. We have been praying to find a family that will progress and we found and have been able to teach many families. Especially Saturday afternoon we found a special family contacting on the street, when our mamita was running late she told us to wait 30 minutes until she got home to feed us lunch. We decided to take advantage of the time and contact. Then we found William and Angelica who were later joined by Angelica´s husband, René. They accepted a visit for the next day. We taught them sunday afternoon in their home. Usually follow up visits with contacts fall through because the contacts forget and dont answer their phones, or hide. But with the family Gualonchango, they let us in and were very friendly and we were able to teach them the restoration and challenge them to baptism. They didn´t accept a specific date but are very curious and eager to read the book of mormon. We have a tour set up with them on wednesday with the branch missionaries. We are super excited for this family!

I love working with the recent converts because they just need someone to be direct with them. I love being direct. This morning I was reading Alma 34 and it is such a great chapter. It talks about how we cant procrastinate the day of our repentance and in verse 39 we are told to always be watchful unto prayer. Or in other words we should alwasy have a prayer in our hearts so that we cannot be tempted. If we procrastinate our prayers it might be too late. I want to help all our recent converts slash inactives realize that repentance isn´t something that we can forgo day tras day. We must be strong, and through the power of prayer and Christ´s atonement we can be purified and clean. That was the great lesson I learned this week. I know that Christ is our savior and through him the world was created. We are part of His fold and we have the responsibilty and honor to love and serve our neighbors and familes. I love being a missionary!

Con Amor,
Hermana Powley

 

Week 52 - Quito Bella Aurora - Dec. 29, 2014 (Prospero Año y Felicidad!‏)

Mi Querida Familia,

Wow Christmas has come and gone! We spent most of the day eating candy, visiting less active recent converts, Traveling somewhere where there was decent internet connection to skype, and staying in the house. As a mission rule, we had to be in the house at 5.. because Ecuador gets super drunk on Christmas. Also for año nuevo we have to be in the house, becuase Ecuador goes out into the streets and makes bonfires, burning human size dummies of clowns. I will try to get pictures. Hermana Espinoza and I enjoyed Christmas Eve just talking and doing some full fledged facials. It was wonderful.

 

This week was a White Christmas :-) Even though we didn´t have snowfall, Rocio was baptized! Rocio is jsut the beginning to many baptisms in her family. Her baptism was beautiful and the service was smooth and full of the spirit. When Rocio bore her testimony you can tell that she knows the gospel is true. She just kept saying Tengo que seguir adelante.. este evangelio es lo mejor. She has another daughter who lives in our sector with her husband and 2 kids; we are planning on going to find and teach them too.

We also have finally been able to see some progress with a less active recent convert we are working with. We found out in a lesson on Sunday, that he has been reading some type of Black Bible archive he found on the internet. And we were able to help him see the negative influence it has made in his life. Luis is such a good kid, he´s 18, but he´s made some mistakes. He came to church on sunday and stayed for the full 3 hours, we gave him a new book of mormon. Luis was also a Christmas miracle. We read with him 2 Nefi 33.. one of my favorite chapters that talks about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I advise you all to read it! They are the last words of Nefi to us and they truly are written directly to us and his posterity. 

 

This week, with Christmas and a new focus on my studies in memorizing the Living Christ has been wonderful. Hermana Espinoza and I spent Christmas Eve baking desserts, reading the Chrsitmas story, and reading the Living Christ in English. I think it really just hit me how much Chrsit loves us and knows us every second of our lives. It was his purpose to show us the way and now we know! I feel like my testimony in Christ grew a lot this Christmas and that because of Him, we are saved and clean. I hope I can always be a righteous and worthy representative of Him.

Sorry this letter is a little short this week, but I feel like I just barely wrote last Wednesday! It's been a wonderful time, and I hope you all have enjoyed your holiday season! May the spirit of Christmas siempre be in your hearts!

Con Amor

Hermana Powley

Week 51 - Quito Bella Aurora - Dec 25, 2014 (Feliz Navidad!)

Family --

 

This week was filled with divisions and fun! I was hardly in my sector, but it was such a blessing to work with the other Hermanas in their sectors and visit their investigators, getting to know everyone! It is just so beautiful for me to see how the work is hastening in all parts of Quito.

Rosio was going to get baptized last Saturday, but there was a family emergency. Her sister in law has cancer and she turned for the worse on Thursday. Rocio left to go be with her brother and his family. She felt really bad to miss her baptism, but we are planning to have it this Friday. Rocio is excited and ready. We are excited too. Hopefully her sister can get better to come to the baptism, that would be the most beautiful thing. We had a huge fast last saturday that Rocio would be OK and be baptized the month of December. When we visited her sunday night after our fast, she told us everything was fine and that she was excited for this saturday. I know the Lord will answer our acts of faith and everything will work out this weekend.

We have found quite a few new families this week but no one came to church and so we are working hard this week to help them commit to their promises and receive revelation through church assistance. I`m excited to set some new goals for the new year as far as baptisms and convert families in my mission.

We had a really sad experience on sunday morning. We were going out to pass by for one of our investigators to go to church. Earlier that morning we had called a couple of the recent converts in our sector. Members who have been baptized in the past year by other missionaries. All of them our inactive except one. It breaks my heart and is actually a huge problem in our mission. Member Retention. Anyway, we had been working really hard with a mother, her daughter, and their cousin, the Familia Altamirano and they told us they would come to church but didn`t answer their phones sunday morning. We ran into all three of them. Coming back from the market with bags filled of purchases made on the sabbath. Then another convert was actually standing by us waiting for the bus and we tried to talk with her but she wouldn`t give us any type of attention. We have worked so hard to help these sweet daughters of God, and as I was sitting on the bus on our way to church, I just couldn`t handle it, thinking of the Hermana Missionaries that I did divisions with that asks me about their converts, and I know that they are just doing horribly. I felt insufficient. Tears may have fallen, literally I felt broken. As we walked into Sacrament Meeting they were singing, and I couldn`t even let words come out of my mouth. The only thing that helped, was I started to write my testimony down in my agenda. Slowly I was able to calm down, and by the time the sacrament made it to our row, a wave of peace and awareness passed over me. God knows how hard we work, and he will bless us with miracles in time. I am so grateful for that experience I was truly able to feel the love and guidance of my Savior. I know he watches over us and is the greatest gift of all time. This Christmas He is the gift.

I love you all! Have a wonderful Navidad:)

Hermana Powley

Week 50 - Quito Bella Aurora - Dec 15, 2014

Hola Mi Querida Familia!

What a week! Started out with an all day leadership conference on Tuesday. That was fun but very long. Then, I found out that one of the sisters in our district went home due to a crazy health emergency, the doctors don´t know what's wrong. So her companion was left companionless. I was aware of all their investigators with fecha because Hermana Espinoza and I had accompanied them a couple times to help them in their sector. President was just going to send Hermana Aquino to San Carlos, which is very far from her sector, and it would have been like sector suicide. So I talked with him, and we got permission to be in a trio this week to help Hermana Aquino´s investigators. It was very rewarding although very crazy. Hermana Aquino´s sector is very close to ours so we stayed in my house and worked half day in El Eden and half day in our sector, Bella Aurora.

 

El Eden includes the US embassy, and many Mormons work in the embassy because so many just happen to be fluent in a foreign language because of living overseas for 2 years, so we had north american lunches all week long, and talked english with the members. We also went to 2 sacrament meetings and WOW, sacrament meeting in El Eden was like being in the states. I´ve never seen so many white people here in Ecuador. This week was like the first time in forever that I had a warm brownie with vanilla ice cream, heard little kids talk english, and just entered into fancy houses. It actually got to be kind of overwhelming for me I´m not going to lie, because we had hardly any time to work, traveling back and forth and such. But the blessings are real, the Lord has seen our efforts in serving Hermana Aquino, I know it because we were able to help many of her investigators come to church.

 Rocio Benalcazar continues to progress, and had her interview last weekend. Which means she is all set to be baptized this weekend. We are really excited and she is too. The members are doing a great job helping her feel like she belongs and loving her. Our plan this week is to just really focus on reading the Book of Mormon with her and helping her get even more excited for her baptism. I love Rocio so much. Rocio is our only investigator with fecha, but we also have Luis who possibly could get baptized next Saturday. Pray for him.

We also were able to teach Veronica and her kids this week. Veronica is so great, she is very humble and has seen many miracles in her life over the past couple weeks.  Sadly they weren´t home when we passed by to pick them up for church, but we will be visiting them soon. I have attached a cute picture of Veronica and her kids and the bishop's wife who accompanied us to teach them. Veronica´s kids are golden. They sit quietly and pay attention to our lessons, answer questions, and fight over who gets to pray:) 

This week I would just love to share my testimony about Humility. I never realized that it was something that I really needed to work on, but just because of that, it most definitely is. I was reading about humility in Preach my Gospel, and what struck me was that humility means we desire for and give all the honor to our Heavenly Father. How many times do we as missionaries get caught up with how many baptisms we have, or how many lessons we were able to teach, or any other little thing, so that we are able to say that we are excellent missionaries. The only reason we serve is to give all the honor unto our father in heaven. I love that. Sometimes when I get down, and think, well.. its been so many months since my last baptism, I´m thinking on the “me” spectrum. Not on God's spectrum.  True that we must pray for miracles and success.. but we should never never never take personal credit for such success. We are only missionaries because the Lord has called us. We are called to a higher expectation of living and obedience to be able to be super sensitive to the spirit. How good of missionaries are we? How much can God place his trust in us? God trusted his only begotten son Jesus Christ with the lives of all of us because Christ promised his father that “the glory and honor be thine.” God will trust us with the lives of others, to the extent of our humility.. our ability to forget ourselves and the credit. This knowledge is changing who I am. I love the gospel and I love the sweet and simple revelations we receive through prayer and diligent study. I love being a missionary.

Have a great week everyone!

Con Amor

Hermana Powley   

 

 

Week 49 - Quito Bella Aurora - Dec 8, 2014

Hola Mi Querida Familia!

What a beautiful week! I was able to see some real progress in our sector and I just can`t describe how much fun it is to be with Hermana Espinoza. She is just so focused in what really matters, and she has so much hope and faith for the work here. Its been such a breath of fresh air! Today we went to the Teleférico, which is the super cool lookout of Quito that you take a gondola to reach, and we went with a couple other Hermana`s from our zone. It was definitely breathtaking, and someone we met up there even asked me if we were polygamists…. Not a first. Anyway! We got really lucky because it`s been raining the past few days but today was clear! Yesterday there was a thunder and lighting storm.. And literally we thought we were going to die. There was lightning and then like half a second later thunder, which means that it was REALLY close. Also fun fact, speaking of dying… I finally took a test to see if I had things living in my stomach because I`ve been feeling a bit queasy for the past couple months… and truly I have a stomach infection AND a parasite… I`ve kind of been bragging a little about this because usually anyone else would be dying but I`m just normal! Blessings from serving the Lord.  Now I`m on pills so that’s a relief.

People to talk about….

Rocio Benalcazar, has a baptismal date for the 20^th of December. She has actually progressed a lot this past week. We were able to finally have a tour in the church with her Saturday and she offered to say the first prayer. Right before the lesson Hermana Espinoza and I had started our fast, and we felt very peaceful and hopeful in what the Lord would provide in this lesson. After Rosio said the prayer, I had the impression to ask her how she feels when she prays. A very simple question in essence. But she just gave a sigh, and said she can`t describe it with words, and that lately she has been feeling even more peace, like she just wants to keep reading the Book of Mormon and learning more. She was able to recognize this as the Holy Ghost. It was really exactly what needed to be said out loud. I was a little worried before that Rocio wasn`t receiving a confirmation of the truth, but now I know that YES. She will progress and be baptized this month if we continue praying with faith.

Miracle Family. Luis y Cecilia Chicaysa Yalota accepeted a baptismal date for the 3rd of January. They are a new family, but its really just such a miracle of how we came into contact with them and they are so ready for the gospel it gives me goosebumps. Luis´ Dad, Jose was a contact that I made in Iñaquito 8 months back. We ran into him in this sector, went back to teach him and found his son Luis. We started talking to Luis and he invited us to come teach him in his home with his wife. We followed up, and met his wife and had an excellent first visit. We were able to learn that they want to have more faith in God, but they don`t feel like the Catholic Church is helping. They have been trying to have a child for 9 years, and are very sad that God isn`t answering their prayers. We were able to talk a lot about the gratitude and the things that really matter. Then we ran out of time so we set up a visit for the following day, taught them Lesson 1, and they totally understood everything! Accepted a baptismal date and are excited to learn! Hermana Espinoza and I really feel like they could be our family. We feel like we both have met them before and already feel a very strong love for them.

 

I would just like to share really quick what I have learned this week. I don`t think it ever really occurred to me how much Christ truly loves us. He eminates light and he came to earth to do the will of the father. We each can feel the same light when we study His words and His doctrine. That light is so easy to feel, because of His great love an atoning mercy. Christ came to suffer through many trials in order to succor His people. Nothing was done in vain. Let us spread this light to those who have forgotten to look up. It could be a smile, it could be a kind word, but let us show others how to access His light and feel even more of His love. That’s what we are doing as missionaries. Christ came to the world not to condemn it but to help us be saved. I am learning so much this Christmas season of patience, love, and grace. Our father in Heaven hopes that we may do His will just as Christ did. I was reading in Mark 3 and its true, if we do the will of our father, we are truly marked as brothers and sisters of Christ. I love Christmas! And I hope you all have some Happy Holidays!!

Con Amor,

Hermana Powley

 

 

Week 48 - Quito Bella Aurora- Dec 1, 2014

Hola Mi Querida Familia,

This week was a great week! Along with thanksgiving, I truly gained a testimony of the power of being grateful. Sometimes not everything goes the way  we want it to go, and instead of being hard on ourselves we just gotta dig deep and say all the things we are grateful for.. out loud! Success isn't about numbers, success is about happiness. Happiness comes when we are grateful. Lets just be grateful and successful then! Last week we didn’t have anyone with baptismal date. But its OK! This week we are going to rock it! Today we had changes and I bid farewell to my dear Hermana Dillman, but now I am with Hermana Espinoza. She is sooo great! She’s from Nauvoo, Illinois, and is an amazing missionary. I met her when we took the bus to Quito a couple months ago to pick up our daughters, We both trained missionaries fromt he same group, and so we got to know each other before. Hermana Espinoza hails from a family of 12, and  she is the oldest sibling. She is very patient and humble. I am so excited to be with her!

Rosio is still going strong, her baptismal date just fell through because her sister was hospitalized on Sunday and she went to go see her instead of to church. That was a real bummer. But Rosio keeps reading and praying, and wants to be baptized.  Last week she even received a priesthood blessing for her bad knees because she took a bad fall a couple days before. That was quite amazing. Our ward mission leader who is a convert of 1 year, recently received the melchezedek priesthood and came with us to give her a blessing. The Elders Quorum President also came to accompany him and helped him out. The Elders Quorum President, Luis, is also a convert of 4 years. The cool thing about this branch is that everyone is a convert. And the branch is very strong, a branch that has truly felt and experienced a great change of heart as the Lamanites once did in times of old.  We hope to visit Rosio tonight and challenge her to be baptized for December 20^th.

Luis Guevara. He’s great. He is reading the Book of Mormon, praying, and going to church. He says he most certainly will be baptized, but that the month of December is just too hectic for him and he wants to be baptized in the new year. We need to pray and fast for him that the spirit will touch his heart enough to commit to a baptismal date. I fear that perhaps he will become an eternal investigator. He knows the book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet, just maybe now he needs to show true fruits of repentance. We are going to focus on the doctrine of Christ this week with him.

This week, Hermana Dillman and I were brainstorming on how we can help the recent converts in our sector. There are probably about 12 of them, and many have inactivated. It makes me really sad. We have visited them several times and have been unable to gain their full trust. I think the majority feel guilty, or just have let that great and spacious building steal their gaze from the fruit of the tree of life. We have decided to go about teaching them in a new way. We will go and visit our inactive converts with the sole purpose being to read the Book of Mormon with them. Then we will testify and invite them to pray. If one prays and reads each day, they will be excited to go to church every week. That is the key to progressing investigators, and the key to conversion. Prayer and scripture study bring about true humility and repentance.  

Thanksgiving was fabulous. Definitely a thanksgiving to remember. Hermana Dillman and I woke up early to make pie and pie and pie and pie. It was delicious. Our zone enjoyed it. We just stuck the apple pies in the church oven during district meeting and the whole church started to smell of cinnamon and pie crust. Every companionship brought something to share, We had choclo (corn on the cob), peas and carrots, turkey sandwiches with mayonaise, apple pie, banana cream pie, mashed potatoes, and apple soda. It was great. Then after we went to eat even more with our mamitas. You could say we were stuffed. Then, after the second lunch, Hermana Dillman and I went home to change because we had a service activity! We went to help our less active who is returning to church, Ana Maria, clean out her yard. It was really hard work. We were cutting grass with spades. Imagine that. Sometimes you just take for granted lawn mowers in the states. But it felt really good to serve! Ana Maria truly is one of our miracles, she keeps progressing. Its been so cool to be a part of her rescue.  

I am so grateful for the scriptures and for the gospel in my life. I love the tiny blessings we receive each day, even the cool wind that blows in our faces as we wait for the buses in the sun. I am grateful for the power of the Holy Ghost. When it can be felt in a lesson by the investigator and missionary, we are successful. That is the key. I know that through faith and repentance we draw more and more close to our Savior. And I am so grateful for that process. I am so grateful to be a missionary. 

Con Amor

Hermana Powley

 

 

 But here's an Ecuadorian Turkey! 

 

 

 

 

Week 47 - Quito Bella Aurora- Nov 24, 2014

Mi Querida Familia,

     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

Week 46 - Quito Bella Aurora- Nov 17, 2014

Mis Queridos familia y amigos,

  This week has been real fun and also real tough. I feel like I have been drowning a little bit. My companion Hermana Dillman has been suffering from some really bad migraines this week and so that basically means its just been me teaching the lessons and contacting and planning and everything. It is no fun to be sick, and we are getting some good medicine for her tomorrow.  Hopefully she`ll feel better this upcoming week. I love being a missionary. Its a little rough when we pass people on the street, and I have to initiate all the contacts and follow up visits, and even work harder on leadership divisions with the other Hermanas. I literally feel exhausted. But this is a learning experience for me. I was actually reading an excellent talk called "The 4th missionary" this morning and was reminded that I just need to put everything in the Lord`s hands, and let the Holy Spirit be my guide. In moments where I feel like the mission is hard, I need to remember to stop placing all my trust in my own efforts. And more in what the Lord needs me to do and say and where he wants me to go. We all have many imperfections, and we are here in this life to improve. Every good thing we do, every good thought, word, action, blesses us and changes us to be more like Christ. How beautiful is that!

Yesterday, we had to stay home because Hermana Dillman`s headaches were just to much, And I read a good chunk of "Our Heritage," which is an history of the church, and it just amazes me to imagine all the sacrifice, consecration, and faith, the first members of the church had. They deeply trusted in their leaders and were able to see many miracles even through persecution. Hope laces their stories into their grand legacy which is the church today. I am so grateful that our ancestors gave everything to the Lord. We have only to continue their legacy and give our hearts, mind, and might to our callings.

 

This week sadly,  Rosio had family in town and so could not come to church, but she`s great. She wants to wash our clothes for us and feed us on the weekends. She`s reading the Book of Mormon, and feels that Josè Smith was a prophet. I love Rosio. Our goal this week is to help her gain a true understanding of the Sabbath Day, and to help her feel a greater love for God which will convert into obedience.

Luis couldn`t stay the full 3 hours, because his dog was dying and he had to go buy an injection form a store that closed at 11, but at least he came to sacrament meeting! Luis keeps moving forward with the charlas. We were able to discover his Iceberg this week with the help of some members. Luis was attacked from behind a couple years ago, and holds a lot of anger in his heart for the men who performed such violence against him. Luis wants to take out all of the anger inside of him before his baptism. Its good that he understands the importance of baptism, but we also know that the gift of the holy ghost will help him be filled with the love of Christ. A member was with us in the lesson, and he actually had also been attacked from behind by a man with a knife, he showed us huge scars on his lower back and on his arms. he said he was lucky to be a live, and that through being a member of the church he has learned how to forgive, and now can converse with the man who attacked him. The spirit was so strong in that lesson. Man I just love the members in this branch!

The greatest miracle this week was Ana Maria Salazar. My second day here in Bella Aurora, we contacted a little short lady, who was mostly deaf. She told us about how she was a member and how she never wanted to go back to church. She didn`t give us her address or her number. We have done a little investigating since then, and have found her house. We went to find her again this week, and she surprisingly welcomed us with open arms. We sang a hymn, and she just opened right up. I love singing, it always invites the spirit. She told us about all the problems she has faced in her life and we stressed the importance of the Holy Ghost, how she needs the consolance and peace that it brings. We gave her a Book of Mormon which she had long since thrown out, challenging her to read, and come to church with us this Sunday. She said yes, and met both promises. When we passed by on Sunday morning to pick herup, Ana Maria had a huge smile on her face and was all dressed and ready to go. All the members welcomed her with open arms, especially the branch president. It was such a beautiful  Sunday meeting. I am so glad the Lord has placed Ana Maria in our path.

Also, another fun fact, we were walking one day, and saw a couple walking in the street, we contacted them, and as I was introducing myself, the husband, said yes I know you, we met on the Prensa 6 months ago. I was taken back for a moment, because I didn't remember all the contacts hermana madrid and I had made on the Prensa, back in March and April, but he was sure that we had already met. We set a follow up visit with them and their kids for the next weekend. It was such a cool experience. Serendipity? Or the spirit?

I know that we are disciples of Jesus Christ when we accept his will. As a missionary I am learning little by little that love is the center of everything. With love, we are led to obedience, when we are obedient we grow in faith, With faith, we will see miracles, and with miracles we are led to gratitude, which converts to an even more powerful love.  I love the Book of Mormon. I testify of its veracidad. I know that the Lord has a plan for each and every one of his children. We are the sum total of all we have ever done in this life, and the life before. How much do we want to value? How brightly do we want to glow in the last days? That is entirely up to us to decide.  Have a wonderful week everyone!

Con Amor

Hermana Powley