Oldie Moldie

That's right. You heard it, folks. I am officially an oldie moldie. But cuidado, no estoy trunky. I seriously have never felt so old as I did this week when I completed one year. It`s so weird to think that I left the house over a year ago now! The time just passes by so fast! For my one year, I went out and worked, sweated, drank some water, sweated some more, worked a lot more, and kept on working. And then at night, we had some pizza and Hna. [Victor] Krum made microwave cake. So delicious. It was a night to remember.

Also, I think Heavenly Father thought I was getting too white, so He decided to send me to the hottest part of the mission. That`s right again, folks, I`m back in Guayaquil. Where the sun beats the hottest, the mosquitos bite the hardest, and the sweat drops the fastest. But it`s been a great time, and luckily we've had a bit of rain to keep the some from penetrating to the bone and keep me cooled off a little bit.

My new companion is Hna. Morales from Nicaragua!!! I always thought the Nicaraguan accent was the hardest to understand, and it`s definitely distinct, but we`re good to go. I still have to pay a little bit more attention, but that`s normal. We`ve had a great time together. We`re still working on teaching with unity and sharing our time better, but we've gotten better this week.

We're opening up the sector here again, which is taxing when you have to start from zero, but luckily, I knew some of the members when I was here practicing for the Christmas choir, and that`s helped us a lot. We`re serving in Barrio Centenario in Estaca Centenario. The ward here is awesome! All the jovenes are pilisimas! I seriously am so impressed with the youth here. They all have such strong testimonies and desires to share the gospel with everyone! On Sunday, we had fast and testimony meeting, and it was pretty much all the youth who got up and bore their simple testimonies. It was incredible. I invite all of you to think about your love for the Gospel in your life and your commitment to God in sharing this message with everyone...and then do it! Share it with EVERYONE! Todo que se mueve! You`ll be blessed and God will fill your mouth with what you should say! Because this is the TRUTH!!! And everyone will need it at the last day, so you may as well help speed up the process, because God is hastening the work. :]

We live with the Enfermeras who work in the oficina--Hna. Llacsa from Peru and Hna. Krum from Bluffdale, UT. They're awesome. Also, I bought a banana clip this week. I'm officially Ecuatoriana...nos I just need a scruncy.

I got the package this week from the Laconia YW! Thank you so much!! Sister Searle being herself sent some Satellite Wafers. It had been so long since I`d had them! I shared some with the Hna. in our casa, and they were so weirded out. It was so funny. Thank you so much!!!!!!

Well, I hope you know I love you all. The Spirit is real and will always guide us to do the right and to find the people who need this message. Open your mouth and confiar in God. He is our father and He loves us. :]

I LOVE YOU!


Hermana Ayer


P.S. I hope you had a good Groundhog Day yesterday!

Comida

Querida familia!!!!!!!!!!

This week, we added some new things to our diet. No, they are not weird. They´re not even Ecuatoriano. My comp and I officially started our popcorn addiction. We remembered how delicious popcorn is and her family has the same Sunday tradition, so we restarted it and changed it to an everyday tradition! It´s awesome!! Also, a family in our ward found macaroni and cheese in a box! They said they didn´t want it, so they gave it to us because we´re from the United States and EVERYONE eats that stuff there, so we gave it a try. Moral of the story: Stick with Kraft. It´s NOT worth it. No matter how long it´s been since you´ve had mac and cheese, don´t do it. "It´s better to wait" is an eternal principle. The third new food of the week was BROWN RICE!!!!! I can´t tell you how awesome it was to take a break for once from the white rice and eat some brown. It has been over a year...maybe even more...since I´ve had brown rice, and it was heavenly. It´s the little things.

This week, we had a couple intercambios with the Hermanas from our zone. I was with one Hna. from St. George and she asked me an interesting question: "What´s the difference between obedience with exactness and perfection?" I thought for a minute and couldn´t find an answer to that. The Lord asks us to be obedient. Obedience brings blessings, but obediencia con exactitud brings milagros. It´s up to us if we just want blessings or miracles. The Lord asks us to be perfect even as He is, but knew it wouldn´t be possible. Por eso, He sent His only begotten son to the earth to atone for our sins, trials, etc. We can never let our journey to be perfect hinder our happiness in this life. Obedience always will bring us happiness, so we just have to make sure that our daily decisions help us to be happy and have fun as we are in this life-long journey. Gracias a Jesucristo, we can receive forgiveness for everything we have done and have happiness. Everything is centered in the Atonement. Just be happy, be obedient, and God will bless us. Always.

The Hnas in our zone weren´t doing so hot this week because here in Cuenca, it´s hard to see the fruits of your labors. Cuenca isn´t the typical South American mission. It´s completely diferent because the traditions the people have in their religion are so deeply rooted, that they find it difficult to ask God what they should do. Really, in this life, what we learn from our earthly parents doesn´t matter if it doesn´t correspond with what God has commanded us to do. We always need to ask God, obey His commandments, follow His council, listen to His chosen servants, and remember that He will always lead us to the correct path. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for leading me down the right path. (Unlike Pocahontas, who thought she was being taken down another path.) This is the Church of Jesus Christ! He leads it! I know it!!

Mom, I hope your trip went well. This week, a lot of things are coming to pass: Thursday the 30th: I complete one year!!!!!!!!! Time flies. Saturday the 1st: Rabbit Rabbit!! Sunday the 2nd, Groundhog Day! I can´t wait for all the celebrations. haha

I love you all. Take care and remember that God loves you. He is your FATHER. Jesus Christ is your SAVIOR!! He lives!!!!!!!!


Hermana Ayer

P.S. We found a referencia de oro....for another sector. Pray that we can find people who our prepared within our ward boundaries.

Roller Coasters

FAMILIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me just say that this week was a roller coaster. Don`t worry, we`re not going on roller coasters. I just feel like this week has been a giant one, with a few upside-down parts thrown in. It`s been great, though! My face may look like that kid`s in the picture Dad sent me last week, but I`m having a great time.

Last Monday, I may have told you that we were having a hard time with communication in our house, but that is all resolved. Now the six of us are living happily and having a great time together. I love living with the other hermanas. They`re an inspiration to me and are having a lot of success, which makes me even happier. I know that communication is so vital to success. Communication, verification, everything. It`s necessary for this life and in all of our callings. Return and report. Rendir cuentas. Talk. It`s probably one of the most important gifts we`ve been given--the gift of communication. Especially with our Heavenly Father. We need to talk to Him daily, hourly, minutely, siempre. He is always listening to us, and will always be there to answer our prayers, cries, jokes, fears, needs, etc. He loves us. I know that. He lives and loves us.

On Wendesday, we had a capacitaciòn with the Asistentes de la misiòn. It was basically to tell us how much better we can be doing. Our zone has been pretty hard to work in, but we`re all trying to help the members to pick up the pace, ponerse las pilas, and help in this great work! After, we felt pumped up to help everyone recieve the blessings of the restored gospel. However, Satan was aware of our ànimos, and sent us some blows that day. We taught the restoration to an hermana who`s gone to church a few times, and she completely rejected our testimonies and the Spirit that she felt. It was very hard to leave the lesson and be excited to teach others, but that`s Satan`s tactic. We can NEVER get desanimated. We siempre have to go forth with faith to tell the world the Gospel is restored. Even when people tear us down, laugh at us, mock us, and do everything in their power to stop this work from progressing, we have to go forth strong knowing that God will give us power and strength. It was never easy for the pioneers. Why should it be easy for us?

Even though Satan tried so hard to knock us down on Wednesday, we found a miracle on Thursday--a single mom and her son who are prepared to receive the Gospel. This hermana`s name is Maria de Lourdes--Malou for short. She was gelling us about how she had some hatred in her heart for something someone had done to her in the past, and wanted to change her life. We shared Hechos 2:36-38 to help her see that the was she can be clean and born again is through baptism. Baptism is the only way we can become new creatures and truly show our repentance. Through baptism, we become cleaned of all the mistakes and sins we`ve made in the past. Gracias a la Expiaciòn de Jesucristo, the Gospel is possible, and we can return to God`s presence. The Spirit was so strong during the lesson, and she immediately accepted a fecha to be baptized. Unfortunately, she wasn`t able to go to church on Sunday because she was sick, but that`s not stopping us from helping her to receive the greatest blessing God has in store for her--eternal life. John 3:5.

On Friday, we had an activity to make little heart pillows, and when we got there, we were so happy to find that two of our investigators, and one of the menos activos we`re helping to reactivate came! It was so great! They had a great time at the activity, got to know the other sisters, and ended up coming to church!! So awesome!

On Sunday, my companion and I sang in church! We sang one verse of "Come Thou Fount" in English, and then mixed together our favorite words from Oh My Father and Joseph Smith`s First Prayer to the tune of Come Thou Fount. I think it`s the first musical number our ward has ever had, but it turned out great and everyone loved it.

Funny things: (1) We gave a young couple a Law of Chastity pamphlet because they`re always canoodling outside when we walk home at night. Since then, we haven`t seen them once. (2) Every time we walked passed one man, he would say, "Mister." After about the fiftieth time hearing this, I told him, "Mister is for men." He asked us what he should call us then, and I told him, "Hermanas." Finally, I`m called by a proper name. (3) There was a man smoking, so we decided to give him a Word of Wisdom pamphlet and invite him to church. He lived in a different area, and ended up going to that chapel. He liked it, too! I`ve had a hard time getting people to my ward, but to other wards, we`re good. Who knows why? Not I. (4) Some people in my ward were watching Barney in Spanish on YouTube when we went to eat lunch. As they started singing, I couldn`t help but sing along to all the songs in English. Glad I still got those words locked in my cerebro after all these years. You should be so proud.

Today, we had Consejo and it was awesome! I love my Mission President! Presidente Torres is inspired and inspiring. I know that he is called of God! I know that we have an important work to do here in this area! And on this earth! We`re here at this time for a reason, and we have to make sure we complete the purpose God has called us to do. Moroni 9:6


I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Hermana Ayer


P.S. Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!!

A Rainy Week

Hey family!!

This week has been an interesting one. The other hermanas in our zone arrived to their house with the doors wide open, so they ended up moving into our apartment. Now there are 6 of us living there. It`s fun, but let`s just say there`s been a lack of communication, so everyone`s a little frustrated, but we`ll get that all figured out. I`m just grateful that I`ve never been afraid to have a good talk. You can`t have the Spirit if there`s contention, and you can`t resolve contention if there`s not communication. That`s why we have ears, mouths, etc. So useful. haha So this week, we`re going to be working on that so we can all be happy and have fun! The Gospel is happiness! So if we`re not living happily, we`re not living the Gospel. Arrepentìos, arrepentìos.

On Monday, we went to visit with an investigator who has been having a hard time quiting smoking. He`s been doing so well, but he told us on Monday that he`s not ready to give it up quite yet. We`ve already done all we can--we`ve made a plan with him to stop, we`ve visited him everyday and shared scriptures and words of ànimo, we have friends who help him...but he`s just not ready to repent I guess. That`s probably the hardest thing to see. Repentance is the most important thing we do! If we don`t change, we can`t have the Spirit! We all need to repent every day! While we were feeling kind of down, my companion and I ran into a man who walked past us crying. We felt the need to talk to him, so we found out that he`s been having troubles in his family and feels as though God has abandoned him. He wants a change in his life, so we taught him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and invited him to be baptized. The Spirit was so strong! We`re going to visit him this week more so that he can progress.

On Tuesday, we did an intercambio with the other hermanas. I went to their sector and we met with some people visiting from Haiti who have gone to church a few times with them. They only speak French and Creol, but one of the girls spoke a little English. With the mix of English and Spanish, we were able to communicate. It`s interesting how the Spirit crosses all language barriers.

This week, we found a Catholic lady who told us that Ecuador is slowly being ruined by three things: (1) soccer, (2) alcohol, (3) money...but mostly soccer. It was so funny. I decided to not tell her my major has to do with recreation.

Also, side note, my companion and I are the same person. We started busting out Stick to the Status Quo and Hoedown Throwdown the other day. I have so much fun with her. We know that this work is hard, but every day, we`re happy. We`re just going to keey working, being patient, and soon we`ll see the fruits of our labors!!

We had a capacitaciòn for the members on Sunday for the Obra de Salvacion, and it went really well. Remember that the missionaries can`t do this work without you! I love the Gospel and it has blessed my life so much! Sharing hte Gospel helps you appreciate it more! So share!!! :] The Lord will bless you and fill your mouth with the words you need to say. I know He lives!!!!


Hermana Ayer


P.S. Alma 13:24

The first email written in 2014 on Mars.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can´t believe it is already the year 2014. Time sure flies. It seems only yesterday that your mother and father were in here buying their first wands....oh, sorry, Harry Potter quote.......It seems only yesterday that I was at home with you all celebrating 2013! The mission does this strange time warp thing where you never can tell how fast or slow it goes. It might just be Ecuador, though, and the fact that I´m living one big summer.

For New Years, we all had to be in our houses at 6 p.m. On Monday, the other two hermanas in our house got moved out, so it was just me an my compañera for Año Nuevo. What we did, is that we decided to do all the traditions we could in our house for Año Viejo. We ate 12 grapes, counted money, ran around the house with our suitcases, drank some soda and threw the cup over our shoulder, and then just gave a testament since we couldn´t actually burn anything in our house. It was awesome. We had lots of fun. I thought I was going to wake up in the middle of the night because of all the partying going on outside our house, but I slept like a baby. Thank you for sharing that talent with me, mom. It´s come in handy quite a few times. Oh, and I told the people here, they have to add "Conejo conejo!" to their list of traditions.

The past week has been even more fiestas for the Día de Inocentes. It´s like a mix of Halloween and April Fools Day. Mostly people just dress up randomly and occasionally people do bromas. There was a small parade we got to see the other day with people dressed up as the kings who went to give gifts to Jesus, and others playing music. It was pretty entertaining considering the general lack of musical talent here in Ecuador.

My companion and I have been playing Don´t Eat Pete this week, too, and it´s great because I found mini marshmallows! Miracle of miracles! We also have been working on helping hte other hermanas in our zone. We had an intercambio this week and it was really good. In our sector, we´re not having much success finding new people, so we´re trying to work with the members to give us referencias. But we have been rescuing some menos activos! It makes me happy.

We also have been learning the importance of obedience with exactness. Obedience brings blessings, but exact obedience brings miracles. We need lots of miracles here, so we´re doing our best. Mosiah 22. We also focused this last week on helping the hermanas to have charity. Moroni 7. Mateo 22:36-39. Charity is the pure love of Christ, and whoever has it in the last days, it shall be well with him. I want it to be well with me, so I´m working on having charity.

I love you all and hope you had an incredible New Year!!!!!!!!!!!! Exito!!!



Hermana Ayer

P.S. Elder Uceda of the Seventy is coming to visit the mission this week!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!

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

I can`t believe it was this week that I talked to you. That seems like forever ago! But alas, twas not. I can`t even express how much I love you all. Thank you so much for your love and support and for your prayers in my behalf. I loved hearing your testimonies and sharing mine. It`s always a spirit-booster when I talk to and hear from you, and I want to thank you for that, too. I know that we will be a family for eternity, and I can`t even express all my gratitude for that blessing.

I wanted to send pictures this week, but my camera won`t connect to the computer. Qué bestia. But that`s life. What`s life, you might ask?

This week, before Christmas, we didn't have much going on because everyone left on vacation and the members were all busy with Christmas-y things, so we decided to serve in a traditional American way--CAROLING! We carolled to the members and presented them El Plan Misional de Familia--aka the way the members can get more involved in missionary work and we do this things they way it`s supposed to be done (the missionaries help and support the members in their missionary responsibilities). We sang and gave out no-bake cookies and everyone loved it. They commented on how we were just like the people in all those Christmas movies! The weird thing is, that`s one thing that happens in real life and not just movies--unlike most things you see on the big screen. It was cool.

Here in our ward, the members are lacking a little bit in faith--faith in their friends, families, neighbors, the other members, etc. It`s sad, because without faith, we can`t do anything! Faith is the first principle of the gospel! It`s hope. It`s belief. We always need to have hope and faith. Have faith in your friends and family and neighbors!! We can do great things! God is on our side! We`re helping to animar a los miembros aquí so that we can have success. This is the only way.

Also, happy New Years Adam today, and Halfy Anniversary last week! On Christmas, we watched On The Way Home and I bawled. Love that movie. Also, I tried cuy (guinea pig) this week! It doesn't taste that good, but it was cool to try.

I hope you have a wonderful New Years! Here, Christmas isn`t that big of a deal, but New Years is HUGE! The have superstitions that will help you have good luck for the next year: eat 12 grapes at midnight, run around the block with an empty suitcase, count money at midnight, drink champagne and throw the glass over your shoulder into the street, and they burn life-size dolls (and some even bigger) of someone or something who had a big happening during the year representing the burning of all the bad that happened and makes room for new good things to happen. It`s pretty exciting. I`ll let you know how it all goes. Last night, people already started the parties and were even listening to Ace of Base! I thought of you, Mom!

Well, I`m out of time. Take care! Exito!!! Rabbit rabbit! See you next year! I`ll be the first one to walk in Ecuador in 2014 on Mars!!


Hermana Ayer


P.S. Pres. Torres`s family likes Master of Disguise.

P.P.S. I was reading through the December 2011 Liahona and Whitney Stephenson was in there singing in a choir with Pres. Holland in the background!

P.P.P.S. 11 months?? Whaaaaat?

P.P.P.P.S. D&C 68:6

Happy Christmas Adam!

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

Can you believe that we will be speaking through the means of Skype in 2 days?? That is so nuts! Time really flies! I feel like it was yesterday that I was talking to you on Mothers Day, and actually, yesterday even feels like last year when I was home for Christmas! Weird. Happy Joseph Smith´s birthday/Christmas Adam today!! Also, yesterday marked one year since going through the temple. Seriously, time flies. So now that we have everything arranged for Wednesday, I feel a lot more tranquila. Talk to you at 11!

This week, I´ve been back in Cuenca. Definitely a different change of pace from traveling and singing all day. I had a temporary companion in Guayaquil, but now she´s my real companion! Hermana Nazer from Coldwell, ID. Like Mr. Nazer from Gilford, NH. She´s so cool. But doesn´t have dark hair like him. We get along really well. Her last area was the Galapagos, where Hna. Adams now is. They just switched places, hence we are companions. It´s been a while since I´ve said the word hence, so I hope I used it correctly.

Bueno, I wanted to give a little run down of my trips last week getting to know the mission.....

Tuesday: We got to go to the temple! It was such a wonderful day! We performed a few songs for the Temple President, too. That night, we performed in Cisne, which is apparently the most dangerous part of the mission. We were going to places no hermanas had gone before. The chapel even has an electric fence. Pretty cool, huh?

Wednesday: We travelled through the night and performed the next day in Loja. Let´s just say that if we ever come back to Ecuador, we have to go to Loja. It is gorgeous! Loja and Cuenca are similar in temperature--Spring-like weather all year-round. Beautiful.

Thursday: We performed in Cuenca! On the ride from Loja to Cuenca, I met a 10-year-old who told me he loved me. It was so cute!

Friday: We sang at an orphanage in Cuenca where a few people in my ward work. It was so fun! They have a lot of volunteers from the U.S. who go for a few months. It´s through OSO or something like that. The Spirit was so strong. That night, we performed in Santa Rosa! I can´t even tell you how much happiness and joy I felt to see my conversos there! Ah!! It was so awesome! I felt incredibly happy and I know that that is the Spirit of missionary work! How great shall be your joy if you bring one soul unto me. D&C 18

Saturday: Only comes once a year. We performed in Machala. In the morning, we had permission to sleep for 2 hours more because we hadn´t slept hardly at all from all the traveling, and right when we went to lay down, someone started playing acoustic Justin Beiber. It was horrible because when there is music, I´m listening to it. Gah! But the performance that night was the best ever. They had set up decorations and speakers and it was just gorgeous! At the end, the stake presidente asked us if he could have the congregations give us a round of applause and Presidente told him it was his stake center, so he could do what he wanted, so he had everyone applaud for us! I felt so weird, but it was a great turn out and the Spirit was so strong when we were singing.

Sunday: We went to Naranjal! It´s a branch that just got started about 4 months ago. The elders are the Branch President, etc. After church we ate iguana, which was cool! AT the performance, it was really small, but beautiful. The spirit was incredible, and there was a little girl who I gave a hug to at church because she wasn´t feeling well, and at the performance, she was better! She was so cute! My voice was shot after all the performances, but I have such a stronger testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ. I KNOW HE LIVES! He loves us!!!!!!!!!

I love you all so much! I´ll talk to you on Wednesday!!!!!! Get your questions prepared! haha LES AMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Hermana Ayer


P.S. Elder Adamson was the one who played the piano in our musical group, and his mom is from NH and played field hockey! Apparently she has a plaque there in Winnacunnit High School. Rosemarie Selfridge. Maybe she played against Joan? Also, his dad, Ron Adamson, along with Hna. Campbell´s family, knows the Della-Pianas! He was the seminary, etc. Coordinator for NY/VT.