Happy New Year to everyone from Ecuador!!!
Things have been
really good here in Ecuador. The schedules around the holidays were kind
of crazy but we all survived. Hermana Sanchez and I watched them burn
their monigotes (they make large dolls and burn them as if burning the
old year and stating over). It was pretty interesting. Just before
midnight they pour gasoline on their dolls and throw a flame on. While
it´s burning they throw in handfulls of fireworks. There were tons of
explosions to start off the new year in Milagro.
Last night there were transfers but Hermana Sanchez and I are still
together in Porvenir. Everyone, including me, thought I was going to
Guayaquil but thankfully I get to stay a little bit longer. I have 5
months here so far and I love this ward, these people. We are working
really hard and teaching a lot of people. We´ve been working with a
woman named Mara for a while. She´s 20 years old and is going to get
baptized in a couple of weeks after she gets married. She´s got more
faith than almost anybody I´ve seen. She truly is converted. Yesterday
she came to church alone with her 3 girls because her fiance didn´t want
to come. Hermano Carillo and I both passed by for him at different
times to bring him to church but he wasn´t dressed and gave us excuses
not to go. It was testimony meeting. Even though she isn´t baptized yet
Mara wanted to share her testimony. She went to the front and shared her
simple but powerful feelings and her desires to be with her husband in
Christ´s church so that they could both share the joy of being a family
together forever. She asked for everyone´s prayers for her family that
her fiance would open his heart and feel what she feels. A few minutes
after she sat down from giving her testimony, her husband walked into
the chapel. He had gotten ready and come on his own. She immediately
started crying and praying, thanking God. I am so happy for Mara because
she has had tons of reasons the past couple of weeks to give up but she
keeps holding on to her faith and her prayers are being answered. She
truly is an inspiration for me.
I finished reading the Book of Mormon in español today. I love that
book. Now I´m going to start on the New Testament in Spanish. It´s a bit
harder to understand but it´s super interesting. I absolutely love
reading the scriptures in Spanish. It´s almost a whole new perspective
on Christ and the gospel.
I hope everyone at home is doing well, enjoying the cold weather.
It´s gotten a bit hotter here lately and it´s started raining sometimes.
I am so grateful for the rainy days when it doesn´t feel like we´re in
an oven haha. Good thing the South is pretty warm so I won´t miss that
part when I come home. And I come home this year!
I love you all and I´m praying for you!!
Love,
Hermana Williams
