February Already...

What is it already February! I feel like I just talked with you
yesterday about my first month of so here. Only 3 more months until my
birthday and the month that I get to call home again. You probably
feel like you just talked to me too. I can´t believe you guys have
snow right now and that you are stuck inside because the roads and
schools are closed. Luis asked me in his letter if I had snow here in
Ecuador. I only wish my little man. Here it is still super hot and
humid right now. We are in the time of winter in Ecuador which
normally means rain but apparently this year they have not had any
rain so it is an odd winter for Ecuador. I wish I had snow cause I am
kind of tired of the hot weather, but I am actually grateful for the
clouds right now. Since in November when I got here it was super hot,
not humid, and no clouds. People here use umbrellas but it is to block
the sun when they walk around.

This week has been one of the best and most heart breaking weeks here
in the mission so far. I will start with why it was the best! This
week we had the opportunity in our mission to have a MultiZone
Conference with Elder W. Christopher Waddell. He is from the First
Quorum of the Seventy. He is from California but right now lives in
Lima Peru. We had our multizone conference on Friday the 7th. He
talked to us about how we can prepare spiritually to teach others. He
shared Ezra 7:10, which says, ´¨...Ezra had prepared his heart to seek
the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach...´¨ He told us that
first we have to prepare our hearts to receive instruction, second we
have to look, which means you have to work to find it and not simply
recieve it. Third, we have to live it or put into action what we
recieve. He related this to when Joseph Smith prayed to know what
church to join, that when we recieved his answer he acted. This
anology can be likened to so many things. Prayer, Understanding the
Scriptures, attending church, going to the temple. I likened this
verse to Prayer, because there are times when you dont get an answer
quickly, you have to prepare to recieve your answer, you have to read
the scriptures, sometimes your answer comes from other people.

It also reminded me of a less active member we are working with at the
moment who was baptized 16 years ago, and after a few months stopped
going to church. We were walking one day and talked with her
grandchildren and made an appointment with them to come back the next
day. When we came back the next day we talked to her and found out
about her life. We invited her to come to church and she came! We have
been visting her for the past few weeks. Right now she is praying
daily to know if the Book of Mormon was written by prophets and if
Joseph Smith was a prophet. She prays daily to know and I know she
will get an answer. I told her about one of the times I recieved an
answer when I prayed to know if the time was right for me to serve a
mission and literly in the middle of my pray my heart changed. I
changed what I was praying for, not just to ask is the time right but
my heart changed and I told Heavenly Father that I would love the
people that I teach no matter where he sent me. And now look I am in
Ecuador.

Elder Waddell also talked to us about the Obra de Salvacion and that
our goal as missionaries is not to find new people to teach but to
rescue the people that have been baptized and no longer go to church.
And that we need to help them enter the temple, because it is only
through the covenants of the temple that we can enter the door to the
Celestial Kingdom. Our baptism was only the first covenant. And after
baptism it is important to always progress in the church. It was such
a great conference. I cried, smiled, and ate great food!

The sad part of this week , that has been heart breaking is that 3 of
our 4 people that we had baptisms scheduled for have decided not to be
baptized at this time. My heart breaks for them becuase I know this
gospel is true and that it changes lives. I know it becuase of things
that I have overcome in my life. I respect their decision, don´t get
me wrong but I am sad that at this time in their lives they have
decided a different path.

The other happy news is that FRIDAY is Valentines DAY! Happy
Valentines Day my family! I hope you will do something fun to
celebrate. Oh and dont forget to book camping spots for the summer
because you are already a month late if you have not already done it.
Lol. I keep planning for you even when you don´t. I can´´t wait to get
home in a short time and see all of you and GO CAMPING on the COLD
Oregon Coast. This week has been a little crazy becuase normally I
dont dream but this week I have been dreaming about camping and ice
cream lol. Oh and of course you guys!

Love you a ton. Have a GREAT VALENTINES DAY!

AnnaAlicia