FULL of much Love for this Work

December 8, 2014

Hello dear family and friends.  Greetings from the hottest country in all the world, at least for me, haha.  I personally think that sweating is a good thing, when you are actually doing something physically draining...but I wake up sweating, and I was SLEEPING!  It just doesn’t make sense.  But hey, I LOVE Ecuador so it is all good. 

So this is the last week in the mission for my dear compi Hermana Perez.  We have many fun things planned for her, and plan to make it the best week EVER in the mission for her.  Also we have a Christmas Program planned with our ward this coming weekend and it will feature the "Misioneras Navideñas!!!"  Stay tuned for up-coming pictures next week. ;)

Liliam is SO excited for her baptism this Saturday.  She has called all of her family in the US, whom are members of the church, and told them the great news that she is finally getting BAPTIZED!!!!  Her daughter, Alejandra, is even more excited, if that is possible, to have her eternal family.  Now we just need to work on Enrique, and they will be able to enter the temple in a YEAR!  Oh my goodness we are beyond excited for this weekend.

Daniela is the cutest girl in all the world.  We still haven’t met her mom in person yet but her mom basically asks her every day when she is going to become a Mormon. She came to church on Sunday and also went to our ward’s Young Women in Excellence meeting and LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!  She said she wants more time, so she won’t be baptized this week be we are hoping for the next week.

  

Enrique (the Jara’s friend), went to visit his family this weekend so sadly, he wasn’t able to attend church.  But he was reading the Book of Mormon and los folletos TODA la semana [the pamphlets ALL week]. WOOT! WOOT!  I think the best investigators are those who have recently been released from prison…if they were falsely accused of course ;)  He is the sweetest man. 

Now for Familia Leon...seriously the greatest family since Familia Jara ;)  They are reading, praying, and even downloading the LDS Gospel Library app on their phones.  So because Domenica is involved in scouts every Sunday at the same exact time as church we thought when we taught them about Dia de Reposo (Sabbath day?) that she would still attend scouts.  Well, Sunday comes around and I was sitting with Lilliam and her daughters and my companion was sitting directly in front of us with Daniela.  The Zone Leaders, who are also in our ward, were still welcoming people into the chapel.  When I heard, "psst. Hermana Bartholomeo..."  I looked back to see the Elder’s faces just glowing.  They said, “Familia Leon is here.  ALL 3!"  WHAT?! 

We had a quick, silent conversation back and forth with a lot hand signals of the number 3 and the Elders trying to use sign-language to tell us that the girls were dressed in long BEAUTIFUL dresses and Victor with a nice button down shirt and tie.  We didn’t believe it until all three of them walked in with smiles on their faces, which caused us to REJOICE silently inside.  THEY ALL CAME!!  Even though they had basically worked all night, and their bodies were exhausted, they were ready to be edified spiritually.    

Domenica came up to us after the Young Women’s class and asked us "YOU DONT DRINK COFEE?!?!"  OH man, they drink coffee.  But once we explained what exactly the Word of Wisdom is, they told us they will quit drinking coffee.  They are seriously the greatest. 

We also went to Hermana Monica’s house with Familia Leon last night to watch the First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional and they LOVED it.  Especially the music. 

Well family, sorry this is so short this week, but just know it is FULL of much love for this work, those I am teaching, and of course for all of you!!!! 

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Bartholomew  

P.S.  I went on splits this week with Hermana Alcazar.  The things you can buy at a stoplight in Ecuador!  We are just a little excited for Christmas! ;)