23 Mayo 2011

Buenas Tardes Familia :) ¿Como estan? I'm doing really great! The days
are flying and we're in the last week of the transfer, which is super
crazy! I feel like I just got here, but also feel like I've been here
for awhile too. Anyway, here is what has gone on this week...

Monday after emailing, we went home and showered, and then went out to
teach our investigators who have baptismal dates. That's pretty much
it that happened the rest of that day.

Tuesday morning we had our district meeting and we had mail :D I got
my Easter package and a lot of letters that were sent back in the
beginning of April. This mail process sucks, but at least I'm getting
what is being sent, right? After our meeting, Hermana Barker and I
decided to splurge a little for lunch (because we've been working
really hard and we don't have a mamita on Tuesdays), so we went to
Pizza Hut and it was delicious. We read our letters and shared all
the crazy stuff that is happening with our friends. I think we got a
little trunkie for like 2 seconds, but then started talking about the
work that we're doing and we were fine, haha. In the evening we were
able to teach Valeria and Karla Tacuri, and Silvia and Michelle
Arevalo. All of them accepted a baptism date for the 28th, but
something happened and they weren't able to attend church the Sunday
before. And because of this, they can't get baptized on the 28th
because they have to attend sacrament meeting at least 2 times before.
The lesson was great! The spirit was strong and we were able to
answer all their questions. They still have desires to be baptized,
but we're going to wait a little bit longer to put a baptismal date
with them. We also found out that Silvia is not married. Her fiance
lives in New York, but when he comes back in August they'll get
married and then she can get baptized. It's a little sad because
Silvia has the strongest testimony and desire to be baptized of all of
them, but she has to wait until she's married. Her daughter Michelle,
will get baptized though once she attends church 2 times.

Wednesday morning we went and contacted. We haven't been able to find
a lot of new people to teach because we've been teaching all our
investigators who are progressing and have baptismal dates. It's
super stressful because we have so much we have to do and we just
aren't able to do it all. It wasn't a super successful morning of
contacting, but we have a few people we plan on visiting and teaching.
In the afternoon, we went to go teach the Salinas-Muñoz family, but
we ended up being super late and they weren't there. So we thought,
well let's just contact. However, we were a little nervous to contact
because the area we were in there are a lot of wealthy people, but the
second door we knocked on, a young woman with her 2 kids walked out
and invited us in. We didn't even say we were missionaries. We just
smiled and said Good Afternoon and she asked if we'd like to come in.
We taught her and her kids and we have an appointment with her and
husband tonight! In the evening, we went downtown to teach Isreal (the
boyfriend of Sabrina Guzman who we have been visiting her family and
now they are reactivating in the church). We have taught him a little
bit. At first he was interested and then started avoiding us, but
then became interested again and has been reading the Book of Mormon.
We had to wait for him a little, but when he came in he was like "I'm
sorry, I don't have a lot of time, but I want to get married to
Sabrina (the have 3-year-old daughter) and I want to baptized". So we
set dates for them... they'll get married on the 2nd of June and he'll
get baptized on the 18th (maybe the 11th).

Thursday morning we woke up and we didn't have water, because the
owner of our apartment is doing some construction and rebuilding
something new for the apartment below (I don't know, I was a little
confused). So our day started late, because we had to wait until they
were done and we had our running water back. However, in the
afternoon, we went with Elder Keables, his companion, and one of our
zone leaders Elder Solano to visit the Salinas-Muñoz family. They had
a baptismal date for the 11th with their family (the Quituysaka
family), but they are able to be baptized on the 28th. We were a
little nervous because the plan for this visit was to change their
baptism date. Hermana Barker and I had fasted the day before for just
this, but still we were super nervous. However, the lesson went super
well! It was a little struggle at first to show them they are ready to
be baptized on the 28th, but they accepted and they are excited!!!
Nidia expressed to all of us that she is so much happier and is sad
the days that we don't come to teach her family. I seriously love this
family so much and am so excited for them!

Friday morning we had our weekly planning session, and then in the
afternoon we went to Lentag to teach Jacqueline. We finished the last
lesson with her, so she is already to be a baptized, but she still has
a little fear. She's funny because one day she's super excited for
her baptism and then the next she'll call us and tell us about her
worries. She is set to be baptized on the 28th also, but we will see
what happens!

Funny story that happened after the lesson with Jacqueline. We were
waiting at the bus stop, and by the bus stop there was a community
party. The people were so nice and offered us food. They gave us
each a tamale and some coffee, then the bus came. The bus driver was
driving super fast and all over the place and it was super dark and we
couldn't see anything on the bus. We tried to throw out the coffee in
the bathroom, but as I opened the bathroom door, we turned a corner
and it shut and I couldn't open it again. We ended up tossing the
coffee out the window haha. However, the coffee had spilled all over
Hermana Barker's tamale, so she didn't it eat, but I finished mine.

Then Saturday morning I woke up SICK and I think it was from this
stupid tamale because Hermana Barker was totally fine. I was almost
in tears because we had so much to do and I was in no condition to
leave the house. But after some time in the bathroom, resting, prayer,
and some medicine, I was fine and we were able to go out and teach in
the afternoon. In the evening, my companion, me, and 4 of our
investigators went to the baptism of some Elders in our zone. It was
really great and think all of them are excited for their own baptisms
:)

Sunday was great too! It wasn't as eventful as the last 2 Sundays have
been though. Church was great though, we only had 8 investigators in
sacrament meeting because the Quituysaka family is sick, so we
should've had more, but I think all of them had a great experience!
In the early evening, we had another appointment with Ximena (the one
who's boyfriend is a member and she's going to school and is super
busy). Well we taught her about baptism and set a date for the 25th
of June. By this date she'll be done with school and have attended
church 2 times. She said yes and she is excited! Her boyfriend is
awesome too and will help her a lot.

Last night as Hermana Barker and I were walking home, we started
talking about how much the Lord has blessed us. We have 12 people
with baptismal dates which is a miracle here in Cuenca. We are
working hard and the Lord is just putting these amazing people in our
paths. We're super happy too that we're proving to President that
Cuenca is a great place too. Even though the transfer is next week,
we're really hoping that we can stay together and continue having
success the next transfer. I'll let you know next week what happens!

That's pretty much it! Today we played Ultimate Frisbee again with
the Elders and then after we went to a Mexican Restaurant to eat food.
It was a lot of fun! The Elders are hilarious and we always have a
great time together! Except for now the pday is almost over! AHHH!

Seems like this next week is going to be a busy one for all of us! We
go to Guayaquil Wednesday to hear Elder Richard G. Scott. We have our
baptism interviews and the baptism on Saturday. And tons of other
stuff to do! We're stressed and don't know if we can do it all! But
we're going to try!

I hope you all have a fabulous and wonderful week! CONGRATS A.J. on
completing high school! Have a great graduation week!

I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!

Love,
Hermana Smith