Hello, 22.

I am officially 22. And I have wrinkles and gray hair. That is real. Maybe I am a little wiser, too. I can´t really tell.




A year ago yesterday I jumped out of an airplane for my 21st birthday. I can´t believe that was an entire year ago. It´s freaking me out a little.

This year was a little different than the last, but perhaps even better. It was a miracle birthday. Probably never in my life did I imagine I would celebrate 22 years of life in the middle of Ecuador with people who only speak Spanish. But I wouldn´t have had it any other way. So. How do we celebrate birthdays missionary-style in Ecuador? Well. Let me tell you.


Saturday it was Andres´ birthday (a convert who got baptized a month ago) so we had a "family home evening" activity with some random people from the ward. I can´t actually remember what we did besides the fact that I got locked out of the house and they sang to us and we played the spanish version of Big Booty. Of course it has to do with Saints because everyone here is catholic. And then all of a sudden we had to run to the church because we were in charge of an activity...so we didnt even get to eat any cake.

The activity was for new converts and investigators to talk about how the church organization blesses families. It had the potential to turn out to be a super rad activity, but ended up being really boring and I felt really bad for everyone who came. I don´t want to talk about it. Ha.


Sunday. My birthday. My companion made me flan for breakfast and we went to church. We had an absolute miracle in church because 9 investigators came! This has only happened like 2 other times in my mission. No one flaked. And people we weren´t expecting to come came. And I sat there with my mouth hanging open all of sacrament meeting because I couldn´t believe all these miracles that were happening.

Among those who came to church were a family of 3 who we were about to stop visiting because they weren´t progressing. They loved us visiting them, but they never read the Book of Mormon and weren´t ready to make changes in their lives to live the gospel. So we were going to quit visiting them and hope that someday in the future they´d be ready to change. But. We stopped by just in case...and they were all getting dressed for church! I almost fainted.

During the 2nd hour of church we had a class about the Holy Ghost and listening to answers that we receive. Jessica (the mom of that family) raised her hand and said "So the missionaries kept telling me I had to read the Book of Mormon and do all these things. I got really annoyed for a while because I wanted to do it in my own time and I didn´t like that they kept telling me what to do. But I promised I would do it. All weekend long I had every intention of reading. I had a thousand things to do, but it was always at the back of my mind. But it kept getting pushed aside and I continued doing everything else I needed to do. Finally I got so tired of hearing that nagging in my head that I needed to read that I just sat down this morning and did it. Now I realize that the thing that kept telling me to do it was the Holy Ghost! God was actually communicating to me and it took me forever to answer! I think I am finally starting to figure out the answers to my questions."


Yes, that is a true story. It is so rad to help people recognize the fact that God actually communicates with us. He literally hears us and answers every single one of us individually. I love being able to see people get answers to their prayers - answers that will change their lives forever. It´s one of my favorite things about the gospel...our understanding of personal revelation and how to recognize those answers. It´s easy. Ask, and ye shall receive. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Easy.

So then church went on and on and it was perfect. Everything. Except for when I was playing the hymns on the piano and I went to sit in the congregation with my companion and fell down the stairs in front of everyone. I am learning lots of things on the mission, but grace is definitely not one of them.

After church we had a special multi-zone conference with a member of the area 70, Elder Uceda. I mostly just sat there in absolute shock because it was like every single word he said was exactly what I needed to hear. He talked about serving the Lord with all your heart, might, mind, and strength. It is so easy to do a half-job as a missionary. No matter how hard I try to focus 100% on the work, little things always prevent me from turning my whole self over to Him. Thoughts of imperfection. Impacience (I can´t remember how to spell that word in english. please dont make fun of me if it is wrong) with companions. Getting frustrated with investigators. Thinking more about old companions and old sectors than where I am at. A thousand things cross my mind every day and make it hard to give the Lord ALL of my heart and ALL of my thoughts and ALL of my strength. I wish so badly that I could just turn it all over to Him, but I have too many imperfections and flaws. No matter how hard I try, I always screw up in one way or another. But at the end of section 4 of Doctrine and Covenants the Lord gives us a promise. He tells us that the only way we can serve Him with everything that we have and everything that we are is by asking Him for it. Ask, and ye shall receive. Serving Him completely IS possible...but only with His help. Crazy how that works.


I could go on and on about the conference, but I won´t bore you. It was the perfect birthday gift. Also I got to see a bunch of my old companions...Hna Needham, Kendell, Cando, and Lara. I can´t believe how many companions I have had. Haha. 11 companions in 11 months. I adore every single one of them like crazy and have learned incredible things from all of them.


After the conference our ward mission leader invited all of the investigators we had in church over to his house to celebrate my birthday (again) so we headed over there to eat the cake we didn´t get to eat on Saturday. We showed up and it was the most random group of people you could possibly imagine. It ranged from teenage boys to a young couple and baby to an old divorced guy. And us. And our mission leader, Julio. But somehow it turned out good...we watched a movie about the importance of choosing today to follow the Savior. I talked about how I chose to serve a mission. And then we played and ate cake and basked in the loveliness of being 22.

It was the first time in a long time I had thought about my decision to serve a mission. For a long time I didn´t think that I really received an answer to come on a mission or not. I just sort of made the choice and figured it was a good idea. I thought my answer was that God didn´t care one way or the other if I served or not. But last night I realized that I did get an answer. It was simple, just like most of the answers He gives me. I had this crazy feeling of assurance that I absolutely need to be here in Ecuador right now and that this was part of the Lord´s plan for me all along. The Lord generally communicates with us in such simple ways that it is easy to brush it off as things we come up with in our own minds or claim that He never answered. But the truth is He is always responding in one way or another. Sometimes we just forget to listen.


Also. You know you´re a missionary when doctor´s appointments turn into a gospel discussion. We visited my back doctor, who mentioned that he thought we were crazy for believing that not drinking alcohol is a commandment. We had a good chat about the Restoration and the Word of Wisdom. It was suprising to discover that he didn´t know hardly anything about Joseph Smith or the Book of Mormon even though he has been treating missionaries for a looong time.


(PS...mom. my back is fine.)

On Thursday we went and visited this man and his family in our ward (members) because his wife has alzheimers and we were going to see if they needed any help cleaning or cooking or something. We knocked and he came and practically pushed us inside of the door. We sat down next to his wife, now practically a vegetable because she can´t see or hear or communicate. There was a picture behind her of one of the most lovely woman I have ever seen. He proceeded to tell us that the photo was of his dear wife. He talked fondly of memories they had together and how she was the best cook in all of Ecuador. Tear ran down his face as he told us that he dedicates 100% of his time taking care of his wife, but he is frustrated because he never knows how to help her. She can´t tell him when she is hot or cold or hungry or anything. He pleads with God daily to help him understand her so that he can serve her. "But it seems like He is just too busy these days. I think He´s forgotten about me."


He knows it´s not true, but he´s in despair. I have never seen such deep, unconditional love for someone like this man had for his wife. I can´t wait to see them in heaven holding hands when she can finally communicate again and they will live happily ever after forever. She is such a lucky lady to have such a good husband. I hope I marry someone someday who will still love me when I take out my dentures and have to wear diapers.


The moral of the story. My birthday was perfect. True love is irreplaceable. God listens to our prayers. He loves us with more love than we can comprehend. But we can only figure that out if we ask Him and if we seek His help. We are so lucky to have the full truth of the gospel in our lives. We have what every single person in this world needs. That is why we should share our testimonies with everyone. The only way to be happy now and in eternity and be with our families forever is through the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no other way.


Love you more than mariachi birthday songs and triple layer cake.


Have the absolute best week of your lives.