Hello, All!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We´ve had an interesting week ourselves. Monday we taught some sweet girls we´ve been teaching and set a baptismal date with them. Their names are Lucia (11) and Karin (15). They have another sister, Ana (13), who has also listened to us sometimes. We are really trying to talk with their mother, too, but she is always working. I love the faith of these youth; as they learn about how Christ was baptized and the organization of the Church of Christ, they really understand and are receptive to the truth. So often we see that the parents are set in their ways or too stubborn to really ask and pray to know, because they´re pretty comfortable as they are and certainly don´t want to change. (especially to a religion that really emphasizes the importance of keeping the commandments that are clearly found in the scriptures. ) I love seeing the light and understanding in their eyes increase. It´s rare that people really comprehend the importance of the fact that there really is a prophet on the earth again. It helps me remember that I need to do a better job taking advantage of this knowledge and really following the words of the prophet.
At zone conference, President Lara talked about the fact that we need to really look for and teach families. As families join the church, they have support, can help eachother live the gospel, and can partake of the full blessings of the gospel together. We are also supposed to talk to branch leaders and get some branch missionaries called. I really think that will help the members understand more and be more converted, as well as help us find and teach more.
On Thursday, (when we returned from ZC) we went out to a members´ home almost 2 hours away by bus. They are constructing cabins for tourism out on their farm. I´m not really sure what the elders ended up doing to help them, but Hna Weiss and I helped Hna Guillin in the kitchen with making lunch. First, we went out and covered the doorway of a little cabin so she could catch the chicken she had selected the night before. Then, we took it in to the kitchen, where the butchering took place. Hna Guillin, a sister of about 70 years (we think) deftly twisted and broke the neck…bare hands of course, what better tool is there? Then, she let some of the blood drain in the sink as water heated up on the stove. It really speeds up the plucking process if you put the chicken in hot water first. Long story short, we now know how to make chicken soup, fried chicken, etc. from scratch, and we have experience. I thought it was really interesting to watch the gutting part. I hope no one is sick reading this….just remember that I really like anatomy. So then we had a lovely thanksgiving lunch of chicken soup, chicken on rice and lemonade, fresh of course.
Yesterday were more elections, because the vote was too close last time. Thus, we were in the house all day, except that we could go to church. We picked up Karin, but none of the others were there of her family to take. We also just had sacrament meeting, which we told everyone would start at 9, really planning to do so at 9:30. Even so, there were only about 12 of us when we started, including us 4 missionaries. I´m really grateful the elders are here so we really do always have the priesthood there to administer the sacrament. Other than them, there was only Hno Guillin in terms of priesthood at the beginning. With ten minutes notice, Hna Weiss spoke on the Restoration, and Elder Salguero chose himself to speak on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (especially since Elder Sotomayor can´t really talk because of a sore throat right now) By the end, a couple more families came, and I was really happy to see a less-active member come with his parents once again. The rest of the day, we had to study, eat, and keep studying. As is our tradition now, Hna Weiss and I made muddy buddies, especially since we´d found some real chex (by real, I mean shape, not brand) at the supermarket 6 hours away in Ambato when we went to conference. That´s also where-when we have to buy peanut butter. Before, we just used normal corn flakes. The most important part really is the chocolatey goodness, right? We were also surprised to find a snail on a plate during the day and a new jungle frog friend by night. We´re pretty much used to cockroaches. Okay, really used to them, and getting rid of them. One night I heard something out in the kitchen as we were going to bed and found it was a big rat up in the high windows, that are like cement lattices. I´m really glad these creatures (mostly the rat) are more afraid of us and try to leave as we approach. I was treated with the strange sounds-squealing of Hna Weiss last night as I showered (we have to shower 2 times every day here) and she shooed the frog out of the house with a cutting board and broom. Haha that´s just the mission.
We really are such a blessed people. The gospel is true, share it!
Hna Sue
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We´ve had an interesting week ourselves. Monday we taught some sweet girls we´ve been teaching and set a baptismal date with them. Their names are Lucia (11) and Karin (15). They have another sister, Ana (13), who has also listened to us sometimes. We are really trying to talk with their mother, too, but she is always working. I love the faith of these youth; as they learn about how Christ was baptized and the organization of the Church of Christ, they really understand and are receptive to the truth. So often we see that the parents are set in their ways or too stubborn to really ask and pray to know, because they´re pretty comfortable as they are and certainly don´t want to change. (especially to a religion that really emphasizes the importance of keeping the commandments that are clearly found in the scriptures. ) I love seeing the light and understanding in their eyes increase. It´s rare that people really comprehend the importance of the fact that there really is a prophet on the earth again. It helps me remember that I need to do a better job taking advantage of this knowledge and really following the words of the prophet.
At zone conference, President Lara talked about the fact that we need to really look for and teach families. As families join the church, they have support, can help eachother live the gospel, and can partake of the full blessings of the gospel together. We are also supposed to talk to branch leaders and get some branch missionaries called. I really think that will help the members understand more and be more converted, as well as help us find and teach more.
On Thursday, (when we returned from ZC) we went out to a members´ home almost 2 hours away by bus. They are constructing cabins for tourism out on their farm. I´m not really sure what the elders ended up doing to help them, but Hna Weiss and I helped Hna Guillin in the kitchen with making lunch. First, we went out and covered the doorway of a little cabin so she could catch the chicken she had selected the night before. Then, we took it in to the kitchen, where the butchering took place. Hna Guillin, a sister of about 70 years (we think) deftly twisted and broke the neck…bare hands of course, what better tool is there? Then, she let some of the blood drain in the sink as water heated up on the stove. It really speeds up the plucking process if you put the chicken in hot water first. Long story short, we now know how to make chicken soup, fried chicken, etc. from scratch, and we have experience. I thought it was really interesting to watch the gutting part. I hope no one is sick reading this….just remember that I really like anatomy. So then we had a lovely thanksgiving lunch of chicken soup, chicken on rice and lemonade, fresh of course.
Yesterday were more elections, because the vote was too close last time. Thus, we were in the house all day, except that we could go to church. We picked up Karin, but none of the others were there of her family to take. We also just had sacrament meeting, which we told everyone would start at 9, really planning to do so at 9:30. Even so, there were only about 12 of us when we started, including us 4 missionaries. I´m really grateful the elders are here so we really do always have the priesthood there to administer the sacrament. Other than them, there was only Hno Guillin in terms of priesthood at the beginning. With ten minutes notice, Hna Weiss spoke on the Restoration, and Elder Salguero chose himself to speak on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (especially since Elder Sotomayor can´t really talk because of a sore throat right now) By the end, a couple more families came, and I was really happy to see a less-active member come with his parents once again. The rest of the day, we had to study, eat, and keep studying. As is our tradition now, Hna Weiss and I made muddy buddies, especially since we´d found some real chex (by real, I mean shape, not brand) at the supermarket 6 hours away in Ambato when we went to conference. That´s also where-when we have to buy peanut butter. Before, we just used normal corn flakes. The most important part really is the chocolatey goodness, right? We were also surprised to find a snail on a plate during the day and a new jungle frog friend by night. We´re pretty much used to cockroaches. Okay, really used to them, and getting rid of them. One night I heard something out in the kitchen as we were going to bed and found it was a big rat up in the high windows, that are like cement lattices. I´m really glad these creatures (mostly the rat) are more afraid of us and try to leave as we approach. I was treated with the strange sounds-squealing of Hna Weiss last night as I showered (we have to shower 2 times every day here) and she shooed the frog out of the house with a cutting board and broom. Haha that´s just the mission.
We really are such a blessed people. The gospel is true, share it!
Hna Sue
2 comments:
Yay! Thank-you sooooooo much for the up-date! I'm gone in less than one week. Wow.
By the way, was there a catch-up #2?
Yes, catch-up #2A actually came after #3. Where are you going Dan?
Daddy-A
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