Tests of Faith

Hola Familia!!!

Wow, sounds like you guys had quite the week. Thank you so much for updating me on all the exciting games. I think one of the things I miss the very most is going to my brothers' sports games! So so glad you guys are having fun, but keep it up, because when I get home, I will be at every one to cheer you on. I had the GREAT realization this week that I'll be able to watch the college football championship a few weeks after I get home next year, so that is good news :) Good luck with wedding plans, school, fixing up houses, and mom and Syd, way to go on singing in the choir! Sounds like it was a great great stake conference!

This week was a humbling one. One that tested our faith and tested our work ethic. First of all, we had a lot of people that weren't home during the week and a lot of walking from lesson to lesson. One of our investigators is also having a really hard time becasue her parents are completely against her joining the church and have told her all sorts of things like we don't believe in marriage, and no church should be allowed to have missionaries. One of our investigators right now with a baptisimal date, who is about 75 years old, got really sick this week. So sick that she had to stay in her bed, so we're praying for her and hoping we can continue to help her understand the gospel.

I think the biggest thing was that the baptism that was scheduled for this week didn't happen. It was with a man named Guido (I think I have mentioned him before) who is in a wheelchair and lives alone. Man, it is so humbling to see his life and how he lives, but little by little, the gospel has been giving him hope and happiness. He has told us more than once that he feels like Heavenly Father sent him two angles to help improve his life. I really saw this week that Satan tries hard to work with those who are progressing. The day of his baptism (Friday), we were super excited and super ready. We had spent the last few days calling people for talks, to bring food, to help with transportation, and that morning we went to the church to fill up the font. We stopped by his house about five hours before the baptism, and he told us that he was really sick and didn't think it would work out that day. Since he's in a wheelchair, everything is harder, especially when he's sick, so we ended up having to cancel the baptism and spent the rest of the day calling people so we wouldn't have a church full of people without Guido. He has some friends who are kind of bad influences on him, so we're going to have to pray and work hard this week. I may miss his baptism, which would be sad, but all I want is for him to feel ready and be sure of his testimony.

Halloween and American candy!

That being said, I also saw many many blessings this week from the Lord. Hermana Ettinger and I are really working hard on spanish, random vocab words, and I noticed a lot of improvement in my language this week. We also found a lot of new people this week, and a few of our investigators came to church that we weren't expecting. We also got Halloween candy this week from a family in our ward and that was a huuuge blessing :) The family we eat with on Sunday went to Texas for a week, so they brought us back AMERICAN candy, and boy, Reese's and Kit Kats have never tasted so good in my life!! We went to their house for dinner and they had Halloween decorations on their door! That was sooo fun to see because apparently that holiday is banned here and no one celebrates it. (But no worries, Hna Ettinger and I already decided were going to buy a gallon of ice cream and eat it to celebrate on Saturday!)Last Tuesday we found a service project (which rarely happens) with a memeber in our ward. He works as a carpenter in his house/garage and we noticed that it was very messy.. so we volunteered to help him. Yes, dad, you can be glad that all the way out here in Ecuador I'm learning how to work with wood and run a shop :) We got it spick and span and got ourselves filthy! But had fun doing it!

Cleaning up the woodshop.

I realized this week that the ward I am in is spectacular. Especially the bishop. He is the type of guy, that just does things because it needs to be done, and doesn't ask for praise or recognition. We went and visited him last night to just let him know thank you and ask if there was something specific we could do in the ward to help him. I was so taken back as he started talking with tears in his eyes, thanked us for our work, and bore his testimony that he knows the Lord has a greater plan for ourselves than we do. As we were talking, we found out that he doesn't have a very good job right now, had to sell his car, and is having health problems, but he does and does and serves and helps and serves some more. I want to be like that.

This is my last week in training and we have transfers on Sunday, so who knows what will happen. We are soooo hoping that we both stay, but we will see.

Ponderize scripture

My ponderize scripture for this week is Deut 8:2. I attatched a picture in Spanish, but here it is in English, because I'm assuming most of you can't understand that too well. "And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no."

Wow, wow I love this!! First of all, that we have SO many blessings to be grateful for. But also that our trials are like mini tests for us to see how we will respond. To see if we will face our hard times with faith and more obedience, or complain and fall to things of the world. I know that the Lord has SO many blessings for us if we continue to face our lives and the circumstances in our lives with faith and gratitude.

Thank you, thank you, for your support. I love you all and think about you often! Good luck in football this week and continue to shine your examples.

Love,  Hermana Yorgason

Face masks.