Sum Picz 2

Sum picz

Good luck!

FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so glad you all had the best vacation ever!  I really am so jealous that I can´t be there with all of you, but I know that I´m supposed to be here in Ecuador serving the Lord right now.  And what a blessing it is to be doing that.  Mom, I´m glad you had a good birthday!  Although it may have been different than most, I´m glad you got some lobster and other nifty things.

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WILLIAM!!!!!!!!!!!  I can´t believe you´ll be 24. What the nuts!?  Life just flies, really.  Have the BEST birthday ever and know that ¡te amo!

And…………….PARKER!!!  You´re going to be the best missionary ever!!  Best of luck!  Nnnot that you nnneed ittt, hheey, Ppotter?  Name that movie.  Remember that no matter how hard the mission is, it´s totally worth it.  Read the welcome message from the first presidency in Preach My Gospel, and you´ll know what I¨m talking about.

This week, a woman in the branch was going through a hard time, so we talked with her on Sunday.  I shared Ether 12:4, 6, 12, 18 and simply told her that fear is the opposite of faith.  She said that in that instant, she was changed and felt as though she had a connection with God.  She said that when she talks with the missionaries, she feels an instant allieviance in her life.  It is so incredible that I have this opportunity to be a representative of Jesus Christ and help people to receive peace and joy in their lives.  I don´t even have to do that much.  I know that this work is powerful.  God lives.

Another miracle that we found out about this week is that Anita, who got baptized a couple weeks ago had problems with arthritis before and was worried about her baptism because of it.  However, when she got baptized, she didn´t feel any pain and since then hasn´t had to use her pain medicine because her body doesn´t hurt.  God works miracles through faith!

Also, so cool that our ancestor was Joseph Smith´s body guard.  Thanks for the stories, and Parker, I know your song went beautifully.  I have the music here, so I should just play it and I´ll think of you.

Friday smelled like the best day of summer in the United States and I died.  It was beautiful.  Also, if you read 2 Nephi 33:1, you´ll know how I feel.  Weak in writing.  I also got all the letters from the Concord Stake YW!  Thanks!

I love you all so much!  We had one baptism this Saturday for a chico who we´ve known since we got here.  The Gospel changes lives and works miracles.  That´s all I have to say.  This is the true church.  God loves us!  We are His children!

I love you all so much!  Have the best end of summer...well, it sounds like you already did.  We´ll just have to do that again in a year, yeah?

LES QUIERO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Hermana Ayer

Sarah LOVES getting mail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FOTOS

Some fotos for y´all!  The first of the baptism of an investigador de oro.  His girlfriend is a member, and he was just so willing and ready to accept the Gospel. The first picture is of his baptism.  The second is him with his novia and her little brother.  The third and fourth are a couple shots of when my companion and I were waiting for one of our investigators to come home so we could teach him.  He lives practically in the middle of nowhere, and all the houses are deserted around him, so we couldn´t exactly teach someone else in the meantime.  10 minutes of fun.

Love you!!

Hermana Ayer

NAUVOO

Dear Mom...I mean Dad...I mean family...I mean....Sunkist?  ;)

How have you all been??  I´m sure you had an incredibly wonderful trip to Nauvoo!  Thanks for all emailing me!  And at the same time!  First of all, I want to wish a HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW, MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  46 years of bliss, no?  I just love you so much, Mom, and want to thank you for all your love and support you´ve given to me.  I can´t tell you how much I miss you and how grateful I am for all you taught me.  I would be nothing without you.  Literally.  And in every meaning of that sentence.

Random thoughts of the week:  have fun at Old Home Day this Saturday!  Sure miss that day!  We heard The Sign by Ace of Base on the bus the other day.  I love telling people I¨m from NH because no one can ever say it!  "New Jersey?"  "No, New Hampshire." Dad, I got your postcards from the Hill CUmorah Pageant!  Thanks!  I read this week 3 Nephi 7:8 and thought of you.  Also, I laughed this week because I read 3 Nephi 8:19 and it´s like someone was reading over Mormon´s shoulder when he was writing and said, "No, it was more than 3 hours!"  And Mormon was like, "Ok fine, to some it seemed longer than 3 hours, but it was basically 3 hours, alright?"  I love the scriptures.  Also, I never used my passport holder.  The office keeps your passport and gives you a copy, so I´d say keep the money.

This week we had a baptism for an investigador de oro.  His girlfriend is a member and he was so ready to accept the gospel.  I know God ahs people prepared to hear the gospel and we just have to find them. If we are obedient they´ll come to us!  I know this to be true!  I love this gospel and I love the church.  It is organized by God himself!  Joseph Smith was a prophet!

As members, remember you have to help out in the work!  Go to ch 9 of PMG and read the IMportance of Members.  Your job is to offer your home, give a sincere testimony, answer questions, and be a friend!  help the missionaries!

This week was a party for the Virgen del Cisne.  So much fun for missionaries.  Not much success, but we´ll keep working.

Sorry this email is the randomest, lamest, and most scatter brained ever, but I love you and the church is true!!!!!!!!


Hermana Ayer

P.S. Homemade Dumbells!

Hhola, como hhista?

Well, familiares. I just love you, ok? Did you know that? Because I do.

This Saturday was quite the exciting day, with all the excitement going on. In the morning, we had a training with Presidente Torres which was incredible. He is such an inspiring man, and definitely called of God! What we need to work on as a mission, is working with the members, verifying, and making a baptismal plan when the people have a fecha bautismal. Something the leaders of the church have really been stressing is working with members. If I haven´t learned anything else from the mission, it´s how to be a better member of the church. I´m so excited to help more in the work when I get back. But for now, I´m excited to be the best missionary I can, help the members participate in the work, and to help the rest of the people of Ecuador to be baptized and recieve the blessings God has for them!

So we had the training in the morning, and in the afternoon, we had two baptisms! The two girls who got baptized are Ana and Andrea. Their brother got baptized in February, but the dad never wanted to hear anything from the missionaries. Now, however, his heart has opened and he wants to prepare for baptism, too! For now, these two lovely ladies entered the waters and made a covenant with God to obey His commandments and take upon them the name of Christ. What a great promise that when we do these simple things, God promises us with the Holy Ghost every day of our lives!

My thoughts are very jumbled right now, but a few fun thoughts from the week are as follows: We ate rice with spaghetti three times last week. Yum. I also threw a few rocks the other day and my arm was pretty sore after. I about cried...not from pain, but from the lack of throwage over the past 6 months. Also, I´m glad I played sports before the mission to at least learn the lesson of enduring to the end--even when I feel like I can´t go one more step, I pull a Nike and Just Do It. And God blesses me. I know this is His work. His work and His glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. I´m so grateful I get to be part of that work!

Have so much fun in Nauvoo this week and make sure you send pictures! I love you all so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hermana Ayer

Happy Happenings

Welp, familamily.

Another week doooowwwn. I still can´t believe how fast the time flies. Notable happenings this week: I completed 6 months on Tuesday. Six whole months! Where has the time gone, en serio. Happy Harry Potter´s birthday on Wednesday. And Rabbit Rabbit on Thursday. I cannot believe it is August already. Here in Ecuador, the whole year feels the same, and I´m pretty sure people don´t know when it´s summer or "winter," so that makes it hard to get a feel for which month it is. One of the reasons I love NH--seasons.

This fin de semana, we had another baptism! The other hermanas had 2. I just love this work, and I love going out every day to preach this message of joy to the world. Heavenly Father is helping us to have success, and I know that it is only with His help that I can do what I´m doing. The people of Ecuador really are so incredible. They all believe in God and have such great faith. We as missionaries just help them to see the truth--that the Gospel of Jesus Christ and power and authority of God have been restored to the earth. It is only with the proper authority (Matthew 10:1) that we can be baptized, give blessings, lead the church, etc. Joseph Smith restored this authority to the earth, and Thomas Monson has that authority now. The Priesthood is real, and I´m so grateful for the trust God has in the worthy men of this earth to hold that power and authority.

I love this Gospel! I just can´t say it enough! I can´t think of any notable things from this week. Just happiness. A family whose son got baptized a few months ago accepted to be baptized when before were very against the church. I know the Gospel changes lives and am grateful for Heavenly Father´s help in this work.

I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Hermana Ayer

P.S. The people here are pros at cement. Reminded me of Helaman 3:7.

P.P.S. I had an omelet on rice the other day and reminded me of Omelet Night at the hospital in Provo. Camille, Ash, have you gone since I left?