April 25, 2011

¡Buenos Dias Familia! This month has seriously been full of
surprises...right now I'm in Guayaquil! Hermana Barker got a call
Saturday night saying that we needed to be in Guayaquil at 8am this
morning so she could renew her censos (I got mine 3 weeks ago). So we
left our house at 2:15 this morning, to catch the bus to Guayaquil at
3am. I am SO tired right now. The bus we took is a nice tour bus, but
it was hard to sleep. We got here at 7am, ate some breakfast, and
walked across the street to immagration. Right now we're writing
emails, then we'll do a little shopping here, and then head back to
Cuenca. I am hoping we get back around 4 or early so I can relax. I
haven't had a "normal" pday in 4 weeks. Hermana Barker and I are
definitely planning on having a chill and relaxing pday next week...I
hope it works out.

So here is what has happened last week...

As I had mentioned last week, we had a conference with Elder Nash (the
area general authority). All the missionaries in Cuenca met up at the
terminal around 1, and all of us packed into a mini-van/bus. The ride
to Machala was about 4 hours, but we had tons of fun. We listened to
the CD you guys sent me for my birthday (AMAZING!). We also got to
watch some movies (mission approved). I suggest you go to Deseret
Book and buy the movie "The Errand of Angels". I LOVE IT! It's a story
about a sister missionary. I laughed and sighed so many times because
so many things in that movie have happened to me! Just go buy it :)
(because I'd love to watch it and have it when I get home).

The conference with Elder Nash was awesome! The great thing is I
practically understood almost all he said, so I was happy I was able
to learn something in Spanish! The conference was Tuesday morning.
After, our zone went and ate at this restaurant (seafood, which was
yummy) and then we headed back to Cuenca. We didn't get back until
9pm. I had a great time with our zone though. We have some funny
Elders. One Elder from Gilbert has some hilarious stories (that he
tells in English, because he can't do it in Spanish). I haven't
laughed so hard in a long time, I was in tears from laughing. Oh how I
love being able to communicate in English...and Spanish too, of course
:)

Wednesday morning we had our district meeting. Unfortunately, there
wasn't mail :( (I forgot to mention that the week before, I got a huge
letter from the School-Age kids from Sunrise! I sure miss those
kiddos!). After our district meeting, we went to lunch and did our
errands that we couldn't do Monday because of the conference, like our
laundry and groceries. Hermana Barker was feeling pretty sick, so she
took some medicine and rested in the afternoon, while I studied. In
the evening, we went out to proselyte. We were stopping by all the
houses of all the people we had planned to teach, but NONE were home
or wanted to listened. We were at like plan "R" as we were starting
to head back to proselyte near the house. The Sunday before, we
passed by this house of an inactive family. The woman's mom stopped
us and told us that she is a member and that her husband, Rafael (who
is not a member) went with her to a general conference session and he
liked it. They are living with their daughter right now because Rafael
is sick with diabetes. She asked to stop by later that night, but we
ran out of time and couldn't. Well Wednesday night, we decided to stop
there because we didn't on Sunday. Well, in Ecuador, usually people
have a locked gate a few feet away from their door. This family
doesn't have a doorbell at their gate. So we were knocking on the
gate and shooting "Buenos Noches" for about 2 minutes! We saw people
through the window but nobody was coming to the door. Well, the gate
was unlock,ed and I had this feeling that we should open the gate and
knock on the door...so we did. They finally answered and invited us
in. We met Rafael who was sitting in a chair by the TV. He was just
listening to the TV because he's almost blind. Well, we started
teaching him and he started sharing his testimony of Jesus Christ,
Joseph Smith, and the gospel. Then he asked us to baptize him...WAIT,
WHAT?! Yes, he wants to be baptized and he asked us! His baptism in
for the 21st of May. Through this experience I have learned that the
Lord really guides our steps! Hermana Barker and I were having no
success and walking ALL over the place, but we listened and followed
the spirit and the Lord led us to his chosen!

Thursday, we met up with Jacqueline (who lives 2 hours away and has a
baptism date for the 28th of May). She was in town shopping with her
sister Surly. Surly and her husband wanted to hear our message, so
she invited us to come teach them in the afternoon. We didn't have
set plans, so we said we'd go. Sher told us that they lived like 10
minutes away. Hermana Barker wasn't exactly sure where she lived or
if their family lived in our area, but since she told us they lived
10 minutes away, we thought we'd just go and see. So we left with her
on a bus and it ended up that she lived like 30 minutes
away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Surly and her husband live on a hamster
plantation, so I got to see TONS on hamsters. They even offered to
cook us hamster, but we declined (hahaha, AHHH!!!! Eat hamster,
really???????) It was a really cool experience though. They
definitely want to learn more and start attending church, so the
Elders are going to continue to teach them.

This week has been kinda weird and crazy, especially Friday, because
it was "Holy Week". We did a lot of contacting Friday, but didn't do
a lot of teaching. We did teach a woman named Nelly who lives really
close to our house. We taught her Friday, she came to church
yesterday, and we taught her family (minus her husband) last night.
She is Catholic and told us that she would "change" her religion if
she really felt that it was right. We're going to continue to teach
their family and hope it leads to great things!

Saturday we went out to Lenta (where Jacqueline lives). She was a
reference from a family in the ward who lives right by her, so we
taught the lesson in their house. Lenta is like an hour and half away
from our house, then once you get to Lenta, you have ride in a truck
all the way up a mountain to their houses. It's super pretty! It's
just interesting that it's so different here than in Guayaquil!

Yesterday afternoon we taught a woman named Presica and her husband
Jaime. They are super nice and pretty receptive to our message.
Hermana Barker and I contacted Presica on Saturday as she was sweeping
her front porch. In this appointment, she had told us that after we
had left, she called her husband and said "I just met 2 angels who are
coming to share a message with us tomorrow at 4". Jaime had some
crazy and interesting "spritual" stories. It was a bit difficult to
follow, but cool to hear. They said they'd read 3 Nefi 11 and pray
together. We are planning on teaching them Wednesday night, and we're
REALLY interested to see what happened (especially with Jaime).

Wow, a lot really has happened this week! I am so grateful for all the
cool things I have experienced. I am at a point right now that while
we teach lessons, I understand SO MUCH (I'd like to say almost all,
but I know that's not the case), but then when it comes for me to
speak, I stumble over my words. It's a little frustrating, because I
know how to say things correctly, but I struggle. I know with time and
with the help of the Lord, one day I won't stumble over my words.

This Saturday, we're having this activity with the returned
missionaries and future missionaries of the ward. We'll pair off a RM
with a future missionary and send them of to an area with pamphelts
and Books of Mormon and contact for about 2 hours. And you'll never
believe it, but this was MY idea! Yup, I was able to contribute to
missionary work :) hahaha. I'm super excited to see the results of
this activity!

One last funny detail about my life. Hermana Barker talks in her
sleep too and a couple times this week we've had "conversations" in
our sleep, hahahahah! The other night, I was talking in Spanish
(sharing my testimony or something) and she was like "Way to go
Hermana!" I don't know, it's pretty funny and something we laugh
about!

Well, that's pretty much it here in Ecuador! I am glad to hear
everyone doing well and that life is still going on! I am excited to
see what interesting and amazing things will happen this week!
And I'm excited that it 2 more weeks I will be able to call home (I
will send an email to mom with details).

Have a great week ya'll! I love you tons :)

Love,
Hermana Smith