Lessons Learned....

Good Afternoon, morning, evening…well whenever it is that you are reading this….i sure wish the picture that I uploaded was bigger…I didn’t have any new pictures from any grand adventures to post yet…but I will soon, I promise. This week…well today, we have three new students coming in! I am super excited. It is fun to be the one here, that knows the ropes, the sights, and the language. I cant wait to help them find their way around Quito, and most of all to show them the city and the country that I have fallen in love with. I have been in touch with Maggie from Philly the past few weeks and its been fun to get her all excited for her adventure here in Ecuador. It was actually kind of neat, she is Jewish, and when she asked me what religion I was, I was a little nervous to answer in fear that before we even met she would judge me. Well I replied “Mormon” she then wrote back through face book chat, “oh my heck I officially love you! And I am officially coming!” I then laughed and I was like whys that…and she was like, “because I know I will be safe with you.”
The new girls come in tonight at 7:30, we are all going to pick them up. It will be awesome, also a new senior missionary couple is coming in this week! I am excited to welcome them to Ecuador also. The Curtis Family, from Sandy. (I am pretty sure) I cant believe that I am almost half way through. The new semester is starting…which means that I only have one left. Speaking of new semesters…blah. So when I first came here we were told that we would not need to take the semesters exams, or the end of the year exams. Well Tuesday Sofy from my program called and said that Dr. Haara, the director at our school asked that the exchange students take the exams. So now I am cramming a semesters worth of studying into a week period…I have a three hour test each day starting next Thursday, and into the next week. But the upside is that I have a week long vacation after the exams…so I guess I can look forward to something.
The weather is back to being cold and rainy, the other day there was snow in the mountains…(one day I really should take a picture of it, so that you guys believe me!) I had a really neat experience at church on Sunday. I go to the gospel principles class. It is simple doctrine, in simple Spanish, so I am usually able to not only understand, but share my insights. Well the lesson was on tithing, and our Sunday school teacher who actually showed up that day used an example of tithing with a large sum of money. Well I usually sit next to this Hermana that was recently baptized. After the lesson I could tell that something was bothering her, so I asked her what was wrong. She then pulled out her 2.00 tithing, and with tears in her eyes explained that she just couldn’t possibly pay her tithing when it was only two dollars. Well with all the Spanish I could muster I explained to her that it didn’t matter if your tithing was 2.00 or 200.00, the Lord recognizes your sacrifices and there are so many blessings he is waiting to give you if you pay your tithing. She then said, but when the bishop opens up the envelope only to find 2.00 he will be so ashamed with me. I shook my head and said, no, your tithing is your tithing, regardless of the amount as long as it is your 10% that is what matters. She then hugged me, and we walked to the bishops office to fill out her first tithing slip ever…together!
It’s always amazing to me, as I sit amongst my ward here the amount of new converts there are. Being from a place highly populated with LDS people we don’t see that very often among our wards. But as I watch them, its inspiring to me. These people are starting from the very beginning. For me, being a member of the church is like breathing. I have been taught and I have known it my entire life, and yet for them, its all brand new. Like being a new born baby. And I love watching the light go on in their head as they realize a new principle, or doctrine makes total and complete sense. I can see how missionaries get a high from teaching people…it is defiantly contagious. I truly can testify of the members finding and preparing, and the missionaries teaching and baptizing. It’s a wonderful method, and our ward members really do deliver. Not to mention our Elders are amazing….(but I probably shouldn’t talk about them too much, someone might get the wrong idea….haha.) speaking of that, January 25th is give a way a Book of Mormon day. I challenge you all, along with myself to do this, and to make a difference one Book of Mormon at a time.
Anyway…I better go cram for some major exams…but, I just wanted to share my cool story…and the next blog I promise to post new pics of our new students!!! Until then, I love you all! And thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
Love,
Emily