Week 46 Another busy week of finding famlies!

Hey friends and family!

Another week has come and gone!! We found 3 new families to teach! I cannot believe it! I am almost at the 1 year mark! I am still here in the good ol´ Imbaya but now with Hna. Alvarado! She is from El Salvador! We were in the Coast together in the same zone for one transfer and were always asking each other when we were going to be companions!

Tuesday

We went to Cumbas to visit one investigator, Ximena and ended up visiting her sister, Ana. It was kind of funny. She also really liked listening to us. We finished the lesson, missed the bus, and ended up walking an hour and a half to get to the main road to catch another bus... This sector sometimes... We visited a family of recent converts and it was a little sad because the wife is really sick and they think that it might be cancer. We tried to emphasize that they need to keep preparing to be sealed in the temple. We got to celebrate the birthday of the hermana and she told me that for her present, she wanted a bunch of recipes haha Another sad moment was that we went to visit David and he was super excited to open up about why he struggles with church and everything. The sad thing was that he told us that soon he is planning to go live in Italy with his parents and won´t come back until September... :( I guess we just have to make the most of our time!

Wednesday

We went to teach Roberto and the funniest thing happened! He was watching his niece while his sister was making lunch and in the middle of our lesson, he stands up and starts saying "Ay chi chi!" (how cold!). We noticed that his niece had peed through her diaper and onto his lap (it looked like he peed his pants...). We almost died of laughter and almost could not finish the lesson. We take a recent convert named Mauricio to do visits with us and today, while walking for forever, we talked about the mission and why we decided to come on the mission. Mauricio has been really wishy-washy because he is close to turning 25 years old and thinks that he is too old to serve. We explained the blessings that come from serving and he told us that he would think about it.

Thursday

As English tutor, if everyone in your district passes their 11th English test, the whole district gets ice cream. On Monday, I had to buy ice cream because everyone had passed test 11. It was a super fun way to end as a district. Afterwards, we ate cake because two elders in our zone finished their missions. I was so done with sugar today... Oooof! We found two families today! One is going to take a lot of work to get them progressing and the other one, the wife, Rebeka, is the sister of a brother who was baptized about a year and a half ago and is serving a mission currently in Peru. It was fun to talk to them and how all they lack is a little more faith. The husband will be a little harder to work with in this family but we are going to do it! Mauricio told us that he wants to serve a mission! I was SO excited when I heard him tell us! And! His sister is supporting his decision (she is not a member but I think is listening to missionaries where she lives...)!!! He started telling everyone in our visits that he was going to be just like us missionaries! He has an interview on Saturday with the bishop!

Friday

We have a super funny less active that I think will be reactivated in about 5 months because we can never seem to find him! BUT! We found him again and now, he only lacks a little bit of the lessons to be reactivated! Little by little... Later in the night, we got a call from Rebeka asking if we could come help her. We put together about 100 of the cute little Otavalian baby dresses! Awwww! I just really want to bring home baby clothes sometimes... ;) 

Saturday

We spent a good majority of our time waiting for buses that never showed... :( Hahaha Obviously Heavenly Father was saying that it was time to change plans and adapt accordingly. We originally were planning on going to Gualsaqui but that bus never came, so we went to Cumbas. We found Ximena and another family to teach! Now we just have to get all of these new investigators progressing! We talked to a couple who said that Jesus did not have siblings but with the scriptures we read, it says he did... Honestly, if it does not have anything to do with your salvation, it´s not important! Come on people... Gotta love the things that people worry about over here...

Sunday

Roberto is officially reactivated! YAY! Church was fun. We had a combined hour at the end where they talked about emergency preparedness. I told Hna. Carrasco that I had every right to be worried and make her pack a backpack for in case something happens... She just laughed. We had a deep doctrinal discussion with our mamita then went to do visits. We were introduced to a few people by a member. Member references are the best! Tonight we received the calls for transfers and Hna. Carrasco did not like that I kept saying that she would finish her mission in the Coast. She went to Atacames in the Coast! It was pretty funny...

Well, I hope you have a great week! Keep me up-to-date!

Until next time,

The Strawberry Blonde Hermana

Week 45 And the earth began to shake... again... and again...

 

Much corn... tanto Maiz

Mom speaks very little Spanish!

But at least she is trying...

 

 

Barney and his friends ;)

 

 

Baptism time.. hooray!

Week 45 And the earth began to shake... again... and again...

Hey friends and family!

I don´t know how much is in the news but we did get a little shook up here in the good ol´ Imbaya! Twice! 

Tuesday

We had our interviews today! Bum bum bummmmmm!! It was a little sad because Pres. Richardson reminded us that this was our last time that we would have the opportunity to have an interview with him and Hna. Richardson... :( We had a small training from him about how we need to strive to reach our full potential and then in our interviews, he asked where we felt we were with our full potential. Our area book passed with Hna. Richardson again! :) Boom! We did some practices and headed home for the night. 

Wednesday

Nothing beats waking up at 3am to your house shaking... I may or may not have panicked... I made Hna. Carrasco put together a little bag with a change of clothes along with our 72hour kit because I could not seem to fall asleep. She was not too thrilled to be doing that at 3am but did it all the same. Later, I got a very excited call from my district leader notifying me that they had both passed English test 11 (there are 25 English modules to help Latinos learn English in the mission) which qualified them to receive brownies. I almost died laughing at the call... About 15 minutes later, the house began to shake again but this time, it lasted for 2 minutes. Hna. Carrasco was the one to panic this time. Hna. Carrasco and I are ok and so is the house. It was just a little "shaking" (hahahaha I am punny...) to have this happen again...  Later in the evening, we visited a less active named David. It was our first time visiting him and his story made me a little sad. He has struggled with the word of wisdom and the law of chastity for years. He said that he would be so close to be worthy to take the Sacrament and then last minute would fall back into temptation. We talked about having faith and the power of repentance. You could feel the spirit so strong! He said that he really wanted to try this time to overcome his problems. I am so excited to work with him.

Thursday

As a joke to the my district leader and his companion, I brought a bunch of choclo as their prize for passing their English exams. They were not the least excited but afterwards, I gave them their brownies and they were fine. Our zone leaders told us that other mission presidents´ wives all over Ecuador have been having dreams about more earthquakes that are going to happen and how we have to be prepared. An hermano told us that this happened in Chile too when a temple was annouced. Basically, Heavenly Father is calling the people of Ecuador to repentance before the temple comes.

Friday

We went to a new part (for me) of the sector to visit a few potentials. We found a few new people to teach and they began to ask us our thoughts about the earthquakes and what not. All we could really say was that we need to prepare ourselves physically and spiritually. Later in the afternoon, we got to play in the maiz! We helped take out the bad corn for a less active family. The wife is so funny because she told me that I have to marry someone from Otavalo. She says that if she had a son, we would get married and she would build me the cutest little house where I would live for 5 months until it was time to go visits the suegros (in-laws). I almost died of laughter. This family is a little bit of a process. We are still trying to gain their confidence. 

Saturday

We visited the family Perugachi (less actives) in Gualsaqui with the bishop. It was an awesome visit because even though the parents weren´t there, we were still able to talk with the oldest son. He told us that he wanted to change the atmosphere of his family and that he wanted to be like us, the missionaries! :) Nothing makes me more happier than to hear that the youth want to serve missions. A lot of our less actives that we are close to reactivating are of age to serve a mission and are really excited! One of our recent converts gave us hammocks! I can now die in peace! ;) I just don´t have anywhere to hang it up... :( sad day... oh well!

Sunday

We finally taught one of our less actives, Brian, who we have been looking for forever!! He is impossible to find but we finally were able to teach him! One step closer to being reactivated... We had our weekly noche de hogar in the chapel. We watched Meet the Mormons and it made me miss American pizza (it is not the same here...)! Everyone really enjoyed the movie and even brought some of their nonmember friends!! :) 

Monday

One of the pictures is of me and Mateo. We had a dinosaur fight today. Yes... I am 21 years old and have dinosaur fights! ;) It was hilarious! 

Hope you all have a great week! 

Until next time,

The Strawberry Blonde Hermana

Week 44 Pictures

 

Juggling... Wow, look at her concentration!

 

Now we know where all of her brothers and dad got their ties :)

 

Yet another awesome Otavalo family

watching me perform the Baile del Pollo!

Week 44 What my zone leader taught me...

Hey friends and family!

My zone leader taught me how to juggle and how to play blackjack. That moment that you forget your camera in a cyber cafe and all you want to do is cry...

Tuesday

While contacting, we found a less active and his girlfriend. He told us how he went inactive because he was mad at God for everything that had happened to him with his wife and sons. (He is separated and his sons live in the states) We talked about the Plan of Salvation with him and also about the Atonement. He started crying and said that we could come visit! Then he started to tell me about how he had lived in the states and how he misses bacon... Now I really want bacon... We explored a part of our sector that is wayyyyyyyyyy out in the middle of nowhere... Well, it took an hour to get there by car but still! We visited some members who come to church every once in a while and we shared a few messages with them. They spoke very little Spanish so it was a good thing that we went with some members that speak Kechwa. We got back to Otavalo and did visits with the Bishop. We went to a family that has been active and inactive off and on. They are super awesome but their neighbors have a super scary dog! I may or may not have pushed the bishop between me and the dog... 

Wednesday

We have a super sassy less active named Roberto who told us today that we could visit him Friday... In 2017... He is doing super well and this next Sunday, he will be reactivated! We visited some other less actives and they are all progressing so very well! I love working with less actives! :)

Thursday

I left my camera in the cyber on Monday! I did not realize it until today... Hna. Carrasco told me that we could go to the cyber and ask but I was feeling a little discouraged. I said a little prayer and we went to the cyber before our meeting. I found my camera! The lady who owns the cyber noticed the camera and knew it was mine. She kept a hold of it until we came back! Good people do exist! :) During our zone meeting, our zone leader taught us how to juggle... I can now juggle! Our district leader accompanied us so of course, all of our appointments fell! Oh well! We ended up walking a ton out in Azama and found a new family to teach! On the way to looking for our less active that we had an appointment with, a little girl came up behind me yelling "Gringita! Gringita! Come to my house and meet my mom!" I was dragged, with Hna. Carrasco and the elders laughing behind me, to a house and the mom apologized profusely for the inconvienience of her daughter. I could not help but laugh. Oh the ways we meet people here...

Friday

We found a bunch of new people today! One of the really great lessons was with a lady named Olga. She originally did not want to let us in but in talking to her, she let us in. She had been through some pretty rough stuff with her mom abandoning her and how she was tired of listening to missionaries from all kinds of churches coming to her house and telling her that she had to forgive her mom. Of course, we have to forgive but through the Atonement of Christ, we can heal our wounds. We shared Alma 7:11-12 where it talks about how not only Christ suffered for our sins but also for our pains and afflictions. We finished the lesson and she prayed for help through the Atonement to forgive her mom! It was such a great lesson!

Saturday

We went to the baptism of our district and then headed to Gualsaqui. We met with a family of less actives and it was actually really sad. They have had so many problems and they just seem to get worse the farther they are from the Gospel. It breaks my heart to listen to the struggles that people have when they do not live the word of wisdom... We talked about how the Gospel could heal the wounds of everything that has happened. This is why we have the Word of Wisdom people... We visited the F. Ruiz who were recently reactivated two weeks ago. It was an awesome visit because it just so happened that the husband was home visiting for the weekend. He is not a member and has been investigating the church for a while. We talked about the Restoration and he told us that he was ready to be baptized! The only problem is that he works all the time in the Orient and only comes home every 3 weeks... He said that he will probably be baptized in Coca...

Sunday

We had quite the busy Sunday. Ward counsel went well as usual. The stake has put a goal to send out 5 missionaries from every ward before the end of the year. We just so happen to be working with a bunch of less actives that are all around the age of serving a mission! After church, we went and did visits with the Relief Society president. Unfortunately, one of our investigators who really wants to progress says that we cannot come visit because her husband gets really upset... :( We still have hope for her! Later in the evening, we had our weekly noche de hogar in the home of F. Ruiz. I had to dance the chicken dance... Afterwards, we talked to Hno. Ruiz and he told us that he wants to be baptized here instead of in the Orient! :) The only thing is that we have to get all the lessons in and talk to Presidente about how we will go about getting him baptized... He got really excited when we told him that he could be sealed to his family after being a member for one year!

Monday

We had our zone activity today and our zone leader, who is from Vegas, taught us how to play blackjack... Hahaha what we learn in the mission ;) 

I hope you have a great week and to hear from you soon!

Until next time,

The Strawberry Blonde Hermana

Week 43 Pictures: Traditional Dress

 

Otavalo Traditional Dress... love it!

 

Quito Oeste Zone

Week 43 This week of the Book of Mormon

Hey friends and family!

This week was a fun week! Our district leader gave us the challenge where we had to carry around a Book of Mormon in our hands the whole week and contact with it. If we put it down or carried it in our bags, we had to contact an extra 5 people.

Tuesday

We had a ton of appointments today but the best were the last two. We found a lady named Maria Muenala. In talking to her, she could really feel the spirit and was excited to talk to us. Sadly, her work schedule really sucks... We also began to teach a less active named Roberto and he is progressing so well! He has been coming to church and we have been flying through the missionary lessons with him!

Wednesday

I learned how to make humitas today! It was so fun, we got to help an hermana who we reactivated this week to make a ton of humitas and the best part is that she gave us a ton to take home! I just love humitas! I also discovered how to make myself a no-bake cookie in a cup! ;) It was a pretty food filled day even though we did not have a mamita!

Thursday

We had our zone conference today and it was actually really fun. We talked about how the whole mission is trying to prepare every missionary to be a leader. After taking a bunch of notes, we did a few activities to remind us of our potential. We did a "how high can you jump" contest and I took 3rd in the whole zone! I am quite proud of that one. Then we did wall-sits with our eyes shut as our zone leader yelled at us "give me your best", "don´t you quit", and other various motivations. It was super hard but I won! I beat everyone in the zone! And then I could not walk for the rest of the meeting... Good times! In the evening, we visited the family Tituaña and hermano Carlos had a hymn book from 1942 that he found at his brother-in-law´s house before he got baptized and they figured that they would just keep it. It was so cool to look at and interesting to see how hymns have changed over the years.

Friday

I got to go see Ibarra today. If I could describe it best, I would have to say that it looks a lot like California. I got to be with Hna. Mortera! It was so fun to work with her. Appointments fell for two hours so we contacted and met a lady named Cecilia. She said that this is exactly what she was looking for for her family. 

My cool Book of Mormon story: I got robbed of my Book of Mormon while waiting to be picked up by Hna. Mortera. A guy kept looking at the book and I said hi and started to explain the book. He asked if he could look at it and immediately began to read it. The bus came for us to go and he gave it back. We sat down and he asked if he could see it again. As I was leaving, I noticed that he was showing it to his son and I told him that he could keep reading it. He was so excited!

Saturday

I got back to Imbabura and we visited a guy named Juan that Hna. Carrasco found the other day with Hna. Hermann. He was really cool and our ward mission leader accompanied us. Juan says that he likes what he feels when he listens to us talk about the gospel but he could not come to church this week because of previous committments... :( he really likes to read the Book of Mormon though!

Sunday

Happy mothers day!! We dressed up in anaco again! This time it was not as painful! ;) My ward mission leader was super awesome and let me use his computer to skype my family... That ended up dying... So he let me use his phone! It was so fun to get to talk to the family! We had a noche de hogar with the ward afterwards. It was a good way to end the week!

I hope you all had an awesome mothers day! In Alma 56: 47-48 talks about how the Stripling Warriors doubted not because their mothers knew. I doubt not because my mom knows and I know too! Moms are awesome! All my mission moms are awesome too (My mom Hna. Susana helped me put on my anaco for Sunday)! I hope you all have a great week!

Until next time,

The Strawberry Blonde Hermana

Week 42 Pictures of Cotacachi

 

The official sign of Cotacachi Cayapas.

 

Me and my awesome companion, hurrah!

 

Beautiful deep blue lake of the volcano.

 

Tons of beauty everywhere...

Week 42 Don't Worry, I am covered!

(Megan's Visa has been renewed is what mom is thinking.)

Hey friends and family!

This has been another busy week in the world of Otavalo and potatoes! I did quite the bit of traveling to Quito but that is a little bit later...

Tuesday

I got a text early Monday morning saying that I had a doctor´s appointment in Quito. Later that night, I got a call from my zone leaders telling me that I had to go to Quito for my specialized training that I missed because of transfers. I then called the Assistants to ask about my doctor´s appointment and the specialized training and they told me that I had to come to Quito to renew my visa. Let´s just say I killed 3 birds with one stone. I left Otavalo at 6 am and sat waiting for the training until 1pm. I was unofficially officially companions with Hna. Anderson (from high school Spanish classes!!)! I also got to see Hna. Thomas, Hna. Maynez, Hna. Nowicki, and Hna. Jueschke! It was a happy little reunion to see everyone from my old zone. We talked about teaching the plan of salvation in a more efficient way. We ended up staying in the house of the nurse.

Wednesday

I got up super early to renew my visa. Hna. Dias and I were the only ones renewing our visa and ended up waiting 2 hours to renew them but hey, I am legal again to be here! ;) Afterwards, we went and ate lunch with the hermana leaders in San Carlos. I had my doctor´s appointment and then headed back to Otavalo. Hna. Anderson and I had a good chat about decisions and how our decisions have gotten us to the point in our lives where we are now. 

Thursday

We had our consejo de la zona. It was a pretty good meeting. After the meeting, I got my scripture case cover! :) I love it! And my scriptures are grateful for it too! We took one step out the door of the chapel and it began to downpour! Hna. Carrasco and I were drenched by the time we got to our mamita. It rains so much here in Otavalo! It´s crazy! 

Friday

Sometimes, Heavenly Father just really knows how to answer prayers. I have been praying for the past week to feel better: physically, mentally, and emotionally, and Heavenly sent a few people my way. We found a new lady that accepted baptism named Janeth. She was pretty excited to listen to us as we talked about the family and she said that this is what she wants for her family. Now we just have to teach the whole family! Tonight we talked about watching ¨Meet the Mormons¨ for a ward noche de hogar with our ward mission leader. We have gotten so many comments from recent converts and less actives that our ward is really boring so we are trying to do more exciting things to help create more friendships in this ward. When we got home, I had to call the zone leaders and it was just a nice conversation. Then my hermana leaders called to check up on me and to share a scripture. It was a nice way to end the night.

Saturday

The funny thing about our sector is that we have a lot of land in it. That being said, we have a lot of indigenous that do not speak Spanish or understand very little of it. We talked to a couple who did not speak much Spanish but enjoyed talking about the family. In this sector, we have to bring members that speak Kechwa. Later in the evening, we had a noche de hogar with a semi-active family. It was so fun to read a little bit in the Book of Mormon with them and talk about the chapter we read. 

Sunday

We talked about family history and the importance of it in our ward counsel meeting. The church is putting a lot of emphasis on finding our antepasados (I can´t remember how to spell it in English... awkward...). After church, we ate lunch and then visited Janeth. Unfortunately she could not come to church but still was excited to see us. She kept apologizing because she could not come to church. It was cute. After her, we went and had our weekly ward noche de hogar. It was super fun because Hna. Carrasco and I gave a thought about how we need to have charity. Then we played a game called ¨Hablame el animalito¨ where one person is blindfolded, people make animal noises, and the person has to guess who they are. It was hilarious but a little weird... Gotta love these people. 

Today for a district activity we went to a lagoon called Cotacachi, an old volcano. It was so pretty there! The water was so blue! We ate lunch and took a bunch of goofy pictures.

Until next time,

The Strawberry Blonde Hermana