Primary Programs and Other Lovely Things

Well. Here's the thing. I wrote out this huge long thing I was going
to post this morning...and I'm a loser and left it at my apartment.
Lamer, I know. But I'll try to remember all the rad things I was going
to update about.
 

The ward I am in here in Cuenca is called Alamos (small world, eh
Nancy?). The ward is divided into 2 sectors, so my companion and I
work in one and Hnas Glanzer y Haggard work in the other. This week
each companionship was going to have 3 baptisms...6 for the ward in
total. The other hermanas had a baptismal service for 3 young kids -
Paulina, Erika, and James. Paulina and Erika are adorable sisters. The
service was beautiful. James' white shirt was about 10 sizes too big,
and pobrecita Erika had to be baptized twice because the guy said her
name wrong. I will never forget their sweet smiles as they came up out
of the water. 

All three of our baptisms fell through this week for various reasons.
It was disappointing, but I am confident that at least 2 will get
baptized someday, hopefully while I'm still here. As a missionary you
can do everything in your power to help investigators - call them
every day, spend the entire day thinking about what you should teach
them and how you should present it, pick them up for church every
week, and literally climb a mountain to visit them daily. But they
have to do their part too. I didn't come to Ecuador to drag people to
the baptismal font. I came to invite them to find the same joy in life
that I've found through the gospel. I'll do everything in my power to
help them see that this is something they really want, but I can't
force them to realize it. They have to step up to the plate and figure
it out for themselves too. I think in situations like this it's easy
to get discouraged, but mostly it's a waste of energy to get down on
yourself. So I will just keep working. When the Lord closes one door,
He opens another. And so it will be here in Cuenca. 

 This week I've been thinking a lot about how little I know about
pretty much everything - teaching, the language, the scriptures, how
to study efficiently, and how to contact people without being a
cheeseball. And the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. So
my new motto of life is this: No sé todas las cosas, mas el Senor que
sabe todas las cosas que han de suceder; por tanto, él obra en mí para
que yo proceda conforme a su voluntad. (I can't remember exactly what
it is in English...something like I don't know everything, but the
Lord knows everything that will come to pass, therefore He works in me
so that I can do His will. Words of Mormon 1:7) I love that. If a
prophet of God admited to not knowing everything, I guess it's okay
for me to not know everything as well. Such a relief. Jospeh Smith
once said something to the effect that God calls men in their
weakness, but qualifies them for their calling. I hope he qualifies me
soon so I will actually be able to help people understand the gospel
and not confuse them even more. 

Sunday festivities included confirmations and the annual Primary
program. I was stoked to be here for the program. It was pretty
typical - little boys reciting the songs like poetry instead of
singing, little girls floofing their dresses and waving to their moms
in the audience, the congregation giggling when the sunbeams say cute
things like "I help my mom by washing the dishes" and "I give my
sister a hug," and the Primary president running around frantically. I
loved every second.

James, Erika, and Paulina were to be confirmed in Sacrament Meeting.
The meeting started and Erika and Paulina weren't there. James was
confirmed, but the girls were still missing. Right as they were about
to move on with the program, the girls walked in the back door. Erika
first. She was wearing a white dress with poofy sleeves and a smile so
big I was afraid her teeth might fall out. She was beautiful. It was
like seeing an angel walk in the door. 

I am in love with Cuenca. I love that it's not a thousand degrees here
(who knew Ecuador was cold?!). I love how mountainous it is. I love
talking to people and hearing their accent. Nosotros. That is my
favorite word in Cuencan.

 It's all lovely.

Spanish word of the week: Chispiar. To sprinkle. Love it.

Hope everyone has a lovely thanksgiving filled with gratitude, yams
with marshmallows, family, and food comas.

My thanksgiving will include venturing to Guayaquil to do some stuff
for my visa at the mission office and maybe eating cuye. And of course
I will be thinking of how grateful I am for all of you. Thanks for
being so lovely.