My Will is in Thy Hands‏

4 Enero 2016

Wow! This week has felt like sooooooooooooo much time! It has been AMAZING! Wow, where to start? Well, my area is Centeral 2 and it is the second most inclined area in the zone. We live here above tree line and then it’s like hiking a 14er [14,000 foot tall mountain] every day to get to our lessons and it is FREEZING cold in the morning and the evening and the sun is SO strong during the day when it is out... I LOVE IT ;D hehe  Really, it’s great!

I love the people here, they are SO HUMBLE, they live in such humble circumstances, and yet they give so much. My new compi is Hermana Males. SHE IS AMAZING! I am blessed to be with her! She has such an amazing spirit and love for the people here. She is from Otavalo Ecuador and is a very down to earth, hardworking, obedient missionary.

There are a few of our investigators that speak only the Quechua language here... thankfully my companion knows a little bit of Quechua- so she is holding up a lot of the lessons but I hopefully will learn. It’s HARD, but I will learn!

We have seen such amazing miracles of working hard- just like our new investigator Teressa. There was one day that we were passing by a house and my companion said that she always wanted to talk to whoever lived there. So, long story short, we started talking to her and made and appointment for the next day. The next day was raining in sheets and was FREEZING cold, but we had to get to her house. The lesson that we had was so special. Life changing actually. I hope that we can continue teaching her and help her to make her goals of helping her family go to church possible.

SOOOOOO, my goal this year is very special (I hope you guys have thought about yours ;D) my goal is to loose myself in the work of the Lord. In Matthew 10:39, we find a very special scripture that says, “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” While talking with my family on Christmas day, my brother asked me if I have lost myself in the work of the lord. I was unsure when I answered him, but now I am certain that I will be fully lost in this work and not holding back anything. I have put my will in the hands of the Lord and let His will be done and not mine.

Well... this email is super long and I don’t have time left, but I love you all! Until next Monday!

Love,

Hermana Mather

Potosi at night...

Me and my compi, Hermana Males! Ain't she cute?!!! ;D

Us hiding from the rain ;D

Año Viejo [Old Year]: one of the traditions from Ecuador is to burn mannequins that you make to represent all the bad that happened during the past year and to look forward to the good in the New Year.

 So, the elders did just that. They made an Elder Viejo (Old Elder) and burnt it for New Year ’s Day. ;d

We were just there cause it was in our pension ;D

The incline of part of our area... wow!!

I was cold one morning for our studies.

We went to church as Cholitas.
One of the members here let us use her polleras (skirts) and shirts to go to church and it was great!

The funny thing is that the people here have never seen a white skinned cholita (not to be racist, but it is true) so everyone was saying (from the sides of the road when we were headed to church) cholita linda (beautiful cholita ;D) It was great!

The members here can now see that we really love the culture here.