Letter #34 - Putting a Little more Effort into the things that Matter - 9.14.2015
Hello!!! This week was busy with medical appointments and calls, but we were still able to make time for our sector. I am starting to prepare a first aide presentation for the meeting that the missionaries have with President. I will be training several different zones here in Quito. I am also working with President to try to change our status of the hospital here in Quito so that more senior missionaries can serve here. The hospital is really good here in Quito and since I have been here we have had several surgeries which all turned out really well. Our doctor is going to try to come here in October and I am going to prepare for him to meet with different doctors and tour the hospital so that he can analyze what level the hospital is.
Zone Conference and Birthday Celebrations
We saw a pretty big miracle in our sector this week. We went to go teach Maria Elena, LizBeth, and Nicole. When we opened the door there was Paul sitting on the bed. Paul was an accidentin his taxi over a month ago. He was in the hospital for at least a month and was released this week. We were so so happy to see that he was released from the hospital because for a time, their family was not even sure if he was going to survive. He had several complications in the hospital including not being able to breath on his own. He can't feel his legs right now and they don't know if he will be able to walk again, but I know that anything is possible if it is God's will. He has improved more than anyone could have ever hoped for. He is able to talk to us and when we asked him to say the prayer we started to teach him the steps and he said "I know how to do it." He said a beautiful prayer. We were able to have some members come over with us yesterday to teach them about Priesthood blessings and to give Paul and his mom a blessing of comfort. Maria Elena was in tears. It was a blessing in my life to be able to testify of Priesthood blessings to this family. That we truly have the same power of God that Jesus Christ had when he performed miracles when he lived on the Earth. I know that we can be healed through Priesthood blessings if we have the faith. I have seen it in my own life. I know that we always have the opportunity to receive a Priesthood blessing, we just have to ask. I am so grateful for those worthy Priesthood holders who cherish and acknowledge this great responsibility to be a Priesthood holder. Please continue to keep Paul Palma in your prayers along with their family that he can recover and that their family can see a miracle in their lives. That they can accept the gospel in their lives and that they see how the gospel can bring happiness and peace even during trials.
We have been working hard with our investigators to see the importance of coming to church and the blessing that can come from the simple things. We had lunch this week with a single mother of a child with disabilities. He is grown now and is wheelchair bound. We asked her how she got to church because she lives on the 4th floor. She says that she walked down the stairs with her son and that it was not easy, but she knew where she needed to be and she would do whatever it took to get there. Also, she said her son loved it and she wanted him to be able to take the sacrament and go to church. I was so amazed by her love for her son and for God. Her example to do WHATEVER it took to get to the church, helped me understand that really there are no excuses for not keeping the commandments. That it is an act of love and appreciation for our Heavenly Father. For our Savior, Jesus Christ, who sacrificed his entire life for us. We have so many blessings in our lives because of them. I know that as we keep the commandments because we want to keep the commandments and because we love our Heavenly Father, we will see a difference in our lives. That we will understand how the commandments will bring happiness and peace in this life and more happiness than we can comprehend in the next life.
My Companion and I I know that the difference between our church and other churches is that we have the ability to have the Holy Ghost. When we partake of the Sacrament, read the scriptures, and pray we can have the Spirit with us constantly. Because we have the Holy Ghost we can be taught directly from God. It is essential for us to have the Holy Ghost in order to return to our Heavenly Father.
Zone Conference
At times, we feel repetitive in our teachings because we testify that it is about the little things that they will see the difference in their lives. That it is all about prayer, reading the scriptures, and going to church, however, I know that it is about the little things because I have seen those little things give comfort, peace, and more happiness in my life than I could imagine. I know that God loves each one of us and that is why he gave us commandments because he knew that they would protect us from those situations that will bring pain and sadness, and will help us return back to him. I hope that each of us will look at our lives and analyze how we can better show our love and our appreciation for the many blessings we have in our lives. I also learned a lot about this week about the importance of showing our love for those people that we serve. That we have the ability to change lives. That if we listen to people, we can find their needs and we will be guided to say those things that will give comfort and maybe even be an answer to their prayers. I learned that we cannot understand other people's trials or afflictions, but there is one person who understands each of our trials which is Jesus Christ. We had several lessons this week with our investigators who shared their trials and we learned that we could not say, I understand and sometimes we were wordless, but when we opened our mouth words were put into our mouths. I know sometimes we do not know what to say or do when others tell us their trials, but if we just listen and show our love for them, sometimes that is enough. That we will be guided, when we have the desire to help, to say those things that will help them continue in faith and endure until the end.
What is Happening with the Volcano?
Con la ayuda del Señor podemos transformar nuestra naturaleza...the key is to hand our will over to God's will. I hope that each of us will strive each day to remember our Savior's perfect example. To try to put a little more effort in to those things that are most important. Those things that will help us reach our potential and help us obtain the promises that are promised to us when we live righteously. I know that this life is really short compared to eternity, but how essential it is for us to act and choose to live righteously today. That we never know when it will be too late to make the decision to change or repent. That our decisions now will determine everything in our futures and it is completely up to us to decide what we will have in our futures. I love you all and miss you everyday! I hope you all have a wonderful week! Stay safe and healthy! Love always, Sister Pemberton
