TRAINING!

Hooooola!!!!!

So after waiting for 3 days to hear about changes, we finally got them on Tuesday night. The phone conversation went something like this:

Elder Carrillo: Hi Hermana Chamberlain. Ready to go back to Cuenca???

Me: WHAT???

Elder Carrillo: Haha!!! Just kidding. You're not going to Cuenca. (Sidenote: I'm getting so sick of those jokes!!)

Me: Oh. Okay.

Elder Carrillo: But we do have some good news for you. You're going to train a new missionary!!

Me: . . . . . REALLY???

Elder Carrillo: Yes!! Her name is Hermana Robison. We'll call you tomorrow to tell you what time you need to come get her from the terminal.

Me: . . . . . . I'm gonna TRAIN???

So I hung up the phone and couldn't sleep for the rest of the night. Seriously. I was way excited because I've always wanted to train but at the same time I was thinking, how can I possibly train?? What if I'm horrible at it?? What if she hates me?? What if no one gets baptized?? What if all our investigators dump us?? What if what if what if what if . . . . . and finally I thought, well, I can be afraid or I can have faith. I decided to try and have faith, and after that I was a little bit more tranquil, although still nervous!!! I remembered what Travis said about when he was waiting for his newbie to get there, that he was pacing back and forth like a nervous dad, well that's pretty much what I did all day, haha. But now HNA Robison is here and we are just having a blasty blast together down here in Loja. She says that her Spanish is horrible but that's a total lie, she speaks really well for someone that just got here, and the best thing is that she's not afraid to talk like I was. It's just so funny because I'm remembering all the things I felt when I first got here to the mission and I'm seeing her feel all those things too. But she's awesome. She's from Layton, Utah and is loving being down here in Loja with me and we're already having great times together.

So this week we had kind of a miracle happen. Lady, who HNA Bravo and I found last change, has been coming to church for 3 weeks and doing everything that she should be but wouldn't accept a baptismal date. This week we came by every day to find her and she was never there, which is weird because before she was always there!! I was getting really worried until Friday when all of our appointments had fallen through and we were walking to find a phone to call someone and I thought: let's go by Lady just to see if she's there. And she was!!! We talked to her about the Holy Ghost and what it can do in our lives and we asked her, how do we receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost?? She answered, by being baptized. I wasn't going to ask her about baptism because I thought she might have felt pressured, but I felt like I should, so I said, and how have you been feeling about baptism hermana Lady?? She said, well I've been thinking and praying and I'd like to be baptized. I was so shocked at this completely unexpected answer that I just sat there staring at her for a second and then said . . . . . really?? I quickly pulled myself together and said, will you be baptized this Saturday?? She said yes!!! So she's gonna get baptized this Saturday and we are just thrilled to pieces about it. She came to a baptism with us this past Saturday and to church on Sunday and this week we're just gonna make sure she's good on the doctrine and the commandments, she'll have her interview and be baptized!!!! Moral of the story: have faith, be persistent and always listen to the Spirit!!!!

This internet cafe is playing bachata and it's really hard not to listen. Why does Ecuador have better music than us??

More highlights from this week: Lady's little girl Angye and little sister Maria grabbing my water bottle, putting their entire mouths on the opening and sucking down half the contents and then offering it to Hermana Robison, who said, trying very hard not to look grossed out, No gracias. I laughed so hard I about died. Hermana Robison being asked to bear her testimony in sacrament meeting, looking scared to death, but bearing a beautiful testimony in perfect Spanish. Starting to teach Wendy, the 14 year old daughter of a 2 year convert, HNO Olger. Seeing Jessenia, the daughter of an recently activated member, in church for the first time. Teaching a lesson through a locked gate because the lady's husband and left with the only copy of the key to open the padlock. Walking around the neighborhood every morning. Old friends (ie: Hermana Morán and Elder Johnson) coming back to Loja. Introducing Hermana Salmon and Hermana Robison to Papatron, the best salchipapa place in Loja and probably all of Ecuador. Working in Argelia and Jipiro at the same time. Being a missionary!!

Well, that's about it for this week. Please please pray for Lady as hard as you can so that she can be baptized this Saturday, also for Jessenia, who will be baptized on the 19th of February. Pray for Wendy too, so that she can accept the gospel into her life and be baptized by her father. And pray for me and my companion, as always, we need all the help we can get!!!

Yo sé que vive mi Señor
Consuelo es poder saber
que vive aunque muerto fue
y siempre Su amor tendré

MUCHO AMOR

Hermana Chamberlain

PS: si mi querida mami HNA Lopez está leyendo esto, felicidades abuelita!!! Tiene una nieta más!!!!