New Companion

Hi Family and Friends!!!

Well… my P-day got changed to Saturday in this zone because everyone and their dog is in Otavalo selling at the markets so… now if you want to write me, you can catch me on Saturday! At least for this change.

Sorry last week the computers again weren’t working very well. I think that’s a pretty normal thing here, so I’m lucky if I get 30 minutes to read and write. Just know that I love you and am responding to you at heart!

To finish with last week… it was a killer to say goodbye to Hermana Israelsen. KILLER. The night after she left I sat at my desk and felt completely empty. Not to mention the fact that she’s like my best friend, there’s just a closeness that comes when you give literally EVERYTHING YOU have to a cause together, cry, sweat, laugh, pray and see changes together.  Our reunion is sure going to be sweet in a few months. I just pray everyday that she doesn’t die from heat in the coast and that I can keep going in this cold :)

My new companion, Hermana Bybee

On Wednesday this week, I went to Quito to get my new companion. Her name is Hermana Bybee. She’s from Spanish Fork and has been out exactly four days!  Being with her really reminds me what the beginning of the mission is like. It’s so exciting but so darn hard. Sometimes I wonder how I made it through that. But she’s really ready to work and came with lots of animos. She’s suupper smart… practically speaks Spanish as well as I do :) She’s studying microbiology and won some state science competition that has a name too complicated to type. She’s teaching me lots of new things that I’ve never heard of and we’re figuring out together how to follow the spirit and find new people to teach. I’ve honestly been really blessed because while I started this week feeling all sad that Hermana Israelsen left, I really have felt such a love for my new companion. We’ve talked a lot about our lives, what we like, what we’ve been through, etc. I found out that music is definitely one of her talents, so we’ve been singing hymns and learning the harmony as we walk from lesson to lesson and up and down mountains. I think living in Otavalo is quite the culture shock for her… I think back to my first few weeks and oh boy.. it’s quite the change. No longer can I throw banana peels in the bushes or walk in the middle of the street and I re-realized how weird the food here really is. Haha, but its good for me to rethink all of my habits! I’m really learning a lot from my comp and how the Lord sees each one of us. POTENTIAL.

Here's what it looks like after church.  Lots and lots of braids and ponchos!

The Lord really is protecting us. Last week with Hermana Israelsen, we were walking home at night when all of the sudden a huge herd of dogs came charging at us, open mouthed, looking like they wanted to eat us both. I think it scared us both so bad that we had no idea what to do until right before they reached us, they all skidded to a stop, looked around and then walked away. Its like they all hit a wall at once. I know that angels are around us.

We’ve been doing lots of contacting and lots of little services to try and find more people. This week we contacted a little lady that was sitting on her porch and could barely understand any Spanish. As we tried to communicate to her in the little Kitchwa that we know and a few hand gestures, we found out that she lives alone, has no job, and because of her age, can’t walk. She looked so lost and sad. But my companion picked up the broom and started to sweep her porch, I gave her a picture of Christ and we both started singing hymns with her… I could tell how strongly she could feel the spirit and love that she’s probably not felt in a very long time. It was one of those moments where I just paused and realized that THESE things are what the mission is all about.

Our Zone in Imbaya

I didn’t get to talk much about conference last week, but it was probably one of the most special conferences that I have ever listened to. I felt SO lifted and inspired to be more like Christ as I finished listening. For me, the four main words that I got from conference were CHARITY. GRATITUDE. PERSPECTIVE. REMEMBER. I especially loved Saturday morning and the Sunday afternoon session. One of my favorite quotes... "Spiritual experiences don’t have as much to do with what is happening around us, but have everything to do with what is happening IN us." I realized how important my desire is to be better. My heart. The more wicked the world is getting, the more its up to us to change. No one is too far to start and no one is too weak to become more like Christ. I know that the atonement is just as much for saints trying to be better as sinners and lost sheep. The only way we will get through this confused world is Christ. Joy in him and Joy because of him. I know without a doubt that he loves us and gives us our situations to Grow. I want to KEEP ETERNITY IN MY MIND, and I know that as we do that, everything else will work out for our good. I love you all!! Hope this week is excellent!

Con mucho amor... Hermana Yorgason