HOLA!!! Wow what a difference in weeks this has been! I´m truly grateful for this week. Even though we really don´t have a program here in Manta, we don´t have many investigators, our ward doesn´t love to help us and the members struggle, we have been so happy this week. We crack up laughing every day, we have been trying out super new ways to find people and what to say during initial contacts, etc. It has been so refreshing to kind of start many things anew and completely rely on our trust and faith in the Lord for His direction in His work. He knows everything and knows the people who are ready to receive the Gospel and we have been trying to fully rely on Him--which is what we should be doing anyway--its just that´s all we have right now and we have been so happy!
I forgot to write last week that the Bishop stood up and bore his testimony and said, Ï want to bear my testimony about something different and something that I´ve always wanted to do but never have. That is--the scriptures. I was shocked! He bore complete witness and testimony about the power of the scriptures and reading them everyday and he was so happy he could finally testify of that and I was so grateful for the blessing we had to see that fruit of our labors.
Tuesday: we had an AMAZING lesson with Rebeca, Pepe, Rebeca´s mom Maria--who we found out is a less active, and Manuels little brother Pedro. We taught the Restoration and they are super fun and goof off a lot although they have desires yet we were teaching and as soon as I began to recite the First Vision, they completely dropped everything they were doing or looking at and couldn´t take their eyes off me. They were intensely focused, wide-eyed, and super affected. Rebeca said she got chills all over and Pepe said his hair was standing straight up. The Spirit was so so strong--the strongest I think I´ve ever felt during the First Vision. It was one of the most wonderful feelings and they each promised to pray--I LOVE this family and love that each time there seems to be another family member listening!
We had lunch with the Lucas Hoppe family and left their house skipping and singing because Hermano Lenin and Hermana Helena were talking to each other, laughing, joking, flirting, holding hands, and wanted to be around each other--it was SO wonderful to see!
Wednesday: weird day--we didn´t really contact at all and all of our lessons fell through and we got reprimanded by yet another offended member because we don´t visit her mom who literally is dying and looks dead--Dallin would have been super afraid poor thing--its really sad to see that. Anyway it was a weird day.
Thursday: we had a great lesson with Maria Alcivar--Rebecas mom and just need her to recognize her answer or revelation--she has a lot of doubts and is scared she wont get an answer but she is so awesome.
We also had a great lesson with Odallis--Giselas daughter
Friday: we had a lesson with Rocio--she is like teaching a little girl but that makes it kind of easy! She has lots of desire, just doesn´t understand a lot of things so we taught her the Law of Chastity and I took it really slowly and simply haha its kind of easy and fun to teach her.
Highlight of the day--Hermana Angulo and I passed a dead chick outside our house on the way to an appt and commented on how gross it was. Well we had to go back home at night to get something and we were coming out and it was dark outside already. All of a sudden I heard this gross sound and looked down and Hermana Angulo was in horrified shock because she had stepped on the chick and we had both heard and witnessed the explosion of its innards. I started DYING laughing because of how horrified Hna Angulo was and it was SO disgusting to hear and witness--see that explosion and I´m so grateful it wasn´t me who had to feel it too. Bahaha we can all imagine how I would have handled it.
This week I´m SO grateful for my companionship with Hna Angulo. We crack up laughing everyday, we love talking, love our new plans for contacting people, being more bold, and have just had a completely fun week even without a program. We are happy and I´m grateful for her and that at least we still have 6 more weeks together!
Saturday: we visited Laura and I just need to say that here in Ecuador it makes me sick every time I hear or witness people with children. When their children cry or fuss or scream, people here for generations have taught you scream back, get super angry, hit them, etc. It´s horrible and I hate the feeling every time! They need classes here :)
Anyway we had a lesson with Rebeca and Pepe today for 2 whole hours--it was so so exhausting! They were way more out of control than normal yet still understood, felt, and committed to act. That is key. If investigators aren´t acting, they either aren´t feeling or aren´t completely understanding. If you can go back and fully recognize they have felt and understood, then they won´t progress and its nice to know that theres a key for when to keep trying to teach and when to drop. Anyway the lesson was on the Word of Wisdom and it ended well.
We also started teaching a sister of a new investigator and were just getting to know her when her husband came home and her face changed into fear, anger, shame, etc. It was so evident and he immediately started pacing the floor. Minutes later, he told us he coulnd´t take it and he had to leave for work soon and asked us to leave. We apologized and told him of course and then told the sister we would call her later in the week to visit her. He immediately came and said that we needed to ask him first and we apologized and asked. He said absolutely not that he didn´t want those things taught in his home. We said ok thats fine but we can teach her in another place, right? He said absolutely not because she is his wife and he will tell her what to do, etc. Turns out she isn´t allowed to leave the house even to go across the street to her moms house. She literally is a slave. Poor poor thing it was horrible to see and made me so sad that she doesn´t stand up for herself or leave because she works so she could leave!
Anyway,we had a lesson with her sister and husband. We started and in walked an older lady. He got super excited and said this was an answer to prayer--she was an Hermana from another church they had investigated and had prayed that all of us would be there to talk and discuss our beliefs, etc. I couldn´t believe this was happening. Haha we were super nervous and couldn´t even believe he had set up a debate between us and this Evangelist lady. Anyway it turned out really really well--Hna Angulo is amazing at Bible knowledge so that helped immensely. But we taught our lesson and know they felt something and though the lady tried to refute some things, all she could say was the Bible is all and you can´t add to it and we just said we have the Bible and the Book of Mormon here and together, if you read, will get an answer and just invited them to do so and said we would come back next week. We´ll see haha.
Then we had a lesson with our heaven sent answer to prayer! Haha joking but really Isidro, Manuels brother is so awesome. We were skipping and running full of joy after that lesson--we really feel like teaching him is an answer to prayer.
Sunday: Rebeca, Pedro, and Rocio came to church!! It was SO cute because Pedro Alcivar answered the door, this cute 12 year old in pajamas. He said he wanted to come and quickly dressed up in a white shirt and super gelled his hair and was downstairs pretty quickly becuase he really wanted to come.
I had to speak again today--we rotate basically every Sunday because without fail one of the speakers doesn´t show up. Haha I´m getting used to it and felt way more comfortable and bold speaking today than before.
We finally had a lesson with Soheil--it was so wonderful. He opened up a ton and has had SUCH a hard life. He was in the Iranian military and tried to escape but put in prison for 8 months where he was immensely tortured. His wife took everything he owned and left him with divorce papers. He came to Ecuador and sent his bro 2000 dollars to take care of his immigration papers but his brother ended up robbing him so he continues to be here illegally. He has health problems, works all day and night and doesn´t have a lot of hope right now YET he chooses happiness. He smiles, laughs a ton, jokes, and has a ton of light in his eyes. He said he had been observing missionaries for months and knows its a blessing we are finally teaching him. We sang I know that My Redeemer Lives and he started crying a ton--it was heartbreaking to see part of what he feels and I wanted to take that away. He needs people in his life too yet it is so amazing to see his happiness and positive attitude!
We had a lesson with Isidro about the Plan of Salvation and he gets it--he gets the importance of everything--just needs to focus more on feeling it. He´s awesome--pray that he will feel he has received an answer. He is so smiley and full of light and wants to go to the celestial kingdom :) We also had fun practicing English with him after. I love that family!
Then we pulled Manuel away from Rebeca´s bday party and took him to the church to talk without distractions. It was so hard last night. There was something different in his eyes and we can see sadness and a weight. Yet he refuses to completely open up to us even though we have a good relationship with him. I was super affected last night by him because I want to help him SO much--I want him to see what we see in him and become that and I want his dreams to be fulfilled. I want to take away whatever sadness or weight he feels! He really is like a kid--super innocent at times with a heart of gold and intentions of peace and love and helping everyone--just got lost for a while. I think he put up a wall of protection from feeling more pain from people he loves. Also I don´t think he feels forgiven for the things he´s done in the past by himself, by his fam, by God, by others, etc.
Anyway I opened up to Hna Angulo how much I was affected by that because of how much I LOVE that family and love Manuel and want to take all that away and how I feel things so deeply at times and just want all these people to be able to start anew, etc. She said she was happy to hear that. She then said--you are ready. You are here in the mission with all of your heart, might, mind, and strength Hna Bryan and you are ready. we´ve had to experience almost everything these 6 weeks together and I´m so grateful. When she said that, it hit me how true that is. There´s a difference. My total complete self is here and my total heart feels these things for the investigators because I truly love them. And I can tell I´m here because I´m happy. I´m truly happy. And although I miss you all tons always, I know I´m here for a reason and happy especailly when I´m working.
I´m SO grateful for the Alcivar family--I truly feel like they are family and they love us and I love them so much! It was so fun to share in Rebecas bday and teach their kids and I just feel blessed to know them and be here! And Pedrito is so cute--trying to convince everyone else to go to church because of how he liked it.
Anyway I LOVE YOU ALL and pray for you daily!! Have an incredible week and thank you for all you do for me!
-Hermana Bryan
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