Random Green Plant Thing

Hola!!!

Guess what I just got done doing?? Climbing a mountain!!! Really!!! Our zone climbed up a mountain and had a picnic and then we played Mafia, Elder Carrillo killed me and then the rest of the zone spent half an hour arguing about who did it. It's nice to know that my death had such a profound effect on my fellow laborers in the vineyard. Ha. Hopefully when I really do die everyone feels the same way. Then on the way down I slipped and fell and got completely muddy. And then one by one, all the elders slipped and fell too. The only one that stayed upright the whole time was HNA Bravo. What a baller.

Anyway, this week was awesome!!! The Familia Ushca accepted another baptismal date and I'm positive that they're going to do it this time. HNO Angel is a little less enthusiastic but I know we'll get him there. HNA Sandra and Orlandito are, of course, completely ready, but we'd like the whole family to be baptized together. THey're gonna do it, I just know it. Please pray for them every day!!!

Plus we had a special fast with HNA Monica. The only thing that's keeping her from being baptized is her divorce sentence. Her boyfriend, Ramiro, who up until very recently didn't want to get married, wants to now, a lot. But she can't because she's technically still married to someone else. Her divorce is so close to being final but she's just waiting on the judge to take it out of the huge pile of papers on his desk and make it official. So we fasted with her and I'm positive that her divorce is going to finalize this week and she'll be married and baptized the next. Her faith is so strong, and even though at first she was like, you want me to not eat for a whole day??? she did it, and I know she's going to receive a ton of blessings. She even paid her fast offerings, it was so incredible!!!!

We also found another super awesome person named Lady, again by randomly knocking on a door. When we went back to teach her there was this guy there, and when walked in the door he said, oh hi sisters!!! You're from the LDS church right?? Turns out he was an inactive member, but he really helped Lady out a lot, he explained the Book of Mormon to her and everything. And guess what?? She's gonna be baptized on the 22nd!!! And she came to church yesterday!!! Awesome. It was a testimony to me that when we do everything we possibly can, Heavenly Father puts His shoulder to the wheel too.

So we had this hugely random experience this week. We got on the bus and a little bit later this tiny old lady got on too, with a bunch of long green plant things in her arms. HNA Bravo got up and gave her the seat, so she sat down next to me. I wanted to talk to her but wasn`t sure how to start the conversation so I said the first thing I could think of-what are those things?? She told me the name, which I instantly forgot, and then said, here, have one!!! Oh . . . . okay. I took it, still not knowing what it was, and to continue the conversation I said, what is it for, can I eat it??? She proceeded to explain to me that yes I could eat it and how to eat it, which I instantly forgot too because I was thinking, how can I stick the gospel into this conversation?? Finally I was like, oh thank you so much for explaining, I'm not from here so I don't know. You know sister, I'm a missionary . . . . . and went on. As we were talking I noticed that everyone in the bus was staring at us as if we were completely crazy, but whatever. She told me that her daughters in Quito were going to church but she wasn't sure if they had been baptized or not. I ended up getting her address (although it wasn't totally clear, so I have no idea if the elders will be able to find it) and when I got up to leave I tried to give the big green thing back to her, to which she replied, what you don't want it??? Well obviously then I had to take it, and moreover, of COURSE I wanted it, because it would make for a completely hilarious story afterwards!!!

So we got off the bus and HNA Bravo was like, what is that thing?? I was like, I have no idea!!! So then we had to carry it all over centro while we were looking for the people we wanted to teach and everyone was looking at us weird, but we were just laughing because come on, it was funny. Finally we went to a cabina to call someone and the girl behind the counter told us it was a guaba and that we could eat the inside. Oh. Good to know. We ended up taking a bunch of hilarious pictures that I PROMISE I will send next week when I have more time and then eating it. It wasn't the most delicious thing I've ever eaten, kind of like mildly sweet cotton balls, but it was okay. But it was the most random thing ever-nobody's ever given me fruit on the bus before . . . . .

Well family, friends, and random strangers that read my blog, that's all I have to say for this week. Pray hard for all the investigators and for opportunities to share the gospel with others. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to have happiness that lasts forever!!!

MUCHO AMOR

Hermana Chamberlain