This week sure has been a full one. Tuesday we skipped out on meetings with the district because we needed to go help with Operation Smile down in Cumbayá, about 2 hours away. We spent the day playing with the kids to help them be happy before their surgeries, visiting with the moms, and comforting them when needed. We had some good opportunities to teach the mothers and explain to them what we are doing here. Sometimos I just love being a gringa. Since we are (mostly me) pretty obviously foreigners, that opens up conversations with people so easily. I love it. Sometimes we can be on buses and just not feel like opening our mouths, and just as we finísh a prayer asking for help, the people turn and ask us where we´re from, what we do, etc.
Of course, there are times, like when people try to rip you off thinking…"they´re white; they have lots of Money and don´t know better". Then we just let them know we do know better and refuse to pay rediculous prices. Or experiences like the one I had today, waiting at a bus stop where people don´t dare to come and talk to us, but just talk amongst themselves about us. This frozen yogurt (bonice-yogoso) vendor was commenting to his associates that he wanted to eat my eyes. (Generally, we use even those opportunities to start talking to people, even if it is just to help them learn better manners. However, we didn´t have time as our bus had just arrived, so I just reminded him that people just don´t eat eyes. Weird. But anyway…)
Wednesday we usually plan, but we had to go to the immigration office to renew my companion´s Censo (official document for foreigners that live here). Resides the fact that we should have such documents, she needed to get the permission slip to leave the country. I think that´s funny, but that´s really what it is; a little paper that says we´re allowed to leave. I got my papers renewed about a month ago, too. The good thing is that the process doesn´t take 5 hours anymore.
Thursday we had conference of all the zones in Quito. There´s four zones, so it comes out as about 100 missionaries. Anyway, that lasts as long as President feels like…generally until about 5 in the afternoon. Of course, every time that we have conference or need to do something downtown, that means a couple hours of bus rides. I thought it was funny that Hna Merback commented that she actually gets sick in cars now and prefers to be in the jerky buses. Haha Conference was really good. The asistentes talked about planning again, which says that we as a mission still need to improve and plan as the Lord would have us do. President talked about teaching with POWER. I love how he teaches us by opening up the scriptures and making us analyze verses one by one to understand better. The power with which prophets and missionaries of old taught came from their personal righteousness and faith. That is how Nephi (of 3 Nephi) was able to teach so powerfully that people got mad because they couldn´t disbelieve.
Friday was a normal day, but my companion had been up all night getting rid of everything inside her...so we ended up resting. Sigh...we just want to work, but there´s no point in beating ourselves up for things that we can´t control.
Saturday morning we have chior practice for the christmas missionary chior. We have about 8 performances scheduled in the malls around Quito. It should be a good opportunity to get the name of the church out for people to notice and start asking questions. However, many people already know to associate the church with the nickname "mormons", or have heard of the church at least. Sunday was the normal be in church for 7 hours day, followed by all the teaching we can squeeze in. That brings us around to Monday once again, but not just any Monday.....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MICHAEL!!!
ESPERO QUE TENGAS UN DÍA MUY FELIZ. NO SÉ COMO ERES TAN VIEJO TAN RÁPIDO, PERO, ASÍ VA. JAJA TE QUIERO MUCHO.
Even with all the craziness, we tried to teach every person possible at every opportunity. Whether we´re in buses, on the street, in their homes, or talking on the phone, we are here to invite people to come unto Christ. I can´t think of anything better that we could do with our time. Share your testimonies and do the same!
Love you.
Hna Henrichsen
Pictures...Hna Merback and I with guaguas de pan, in our halloween costumes (well, the day before and really we just put garbage bags on us b-c it was raining), and me with a little girl from Operation Smile.
Ecuabit: when someone is hit and killed by a car here, a big blue heart is painted onto the street to remember them.
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