Hello friends! Thanks for all of the fun emails! Like always, everyone is doing well and I love to hear that!
Well, lots of you were very curious to know what happened this weekend with the Lovato family...They got baptized! Well, at least Jeanette and Denise, the mother and the 11 yr old. It was so beautiful too! I will send pics! But yes, so the baptism was Sunday at 3pm. Jeanette got there early with her family to do the interview and while she was there, we got to talk to Denise. A little history, Michelle, the 15 yr old, has been a terror for us! She is such a rebel and is causing her family so much heartache. We were talking to Denise about baptism a couple of weeks ago and she was so excited. Then Michelle walked in, and Denise said she didn´t know if she really wanted to. All because of Michelle! So when she was at the baptism, we didn´t know if she still wanted to. She was really hesitant and just didn´t know. Then, another missionary, Elder Cayambe, asked us if he could talk to her. We told him to go for it, and about 45 minutes later, they came out of the room, and it was the old Denise again, wanting to get baptized with her mom. She was so happy! Little did we know, she had brought extra clothes with her the whole time preparing on getting wet, like she knew deep down the whole time that she was going to get baptized. It was also great because her dad got to baptize her. He was so nervous because he had never done it before and had been inactive for so long, but he just advanced in the priesthood and was excited to start using his priesthood after 30 years of not having it! They had to do Denise about 5 times because he couldn´t ever get her under the water competely, always something out. I felt bad because the water was so cold! Then Hno Lovato (Carlos), his brother baptized Jeanette. They were so happy and oh, the feelings that I felt! It´s like I could see into their future and could see the change that this was going to bring for this family. Oh, and before the baptism, our DL, Elder Vinces, asked if he could talk to Michelle. They were together for like 30 minutes, and afterward he said what a good person she was and that he knew someday she would be baptized. I know she is a good person, she just has so much hatred stored up. We are working on just establishing a good relationship with her. We taught her and her so nice friend, Rosaura, and this week we have a fun day planned with them, like doing their makeup and hair. We just want to establish some sort of friendship, try and make things better. After the baptism, we went to their house with their extended family and had so much fun. You seriously could see the difference that it already made in their lives.
Which brings me to my next point. I never realized how lonely people are. It has to be the same in the states. This past week, we visited Jeantte before the baptism, and she just broke down and cried, talking about how lonely she felt all the time. She has a day care, so all day she is alone, with like five kids, and she feels so alone. She said that hte only time she feels peace is when she would study the Book of Mormon or other material we gave her. We told her more about how that was the Holy Ghost and how she could have him with her forever after her baptism, and after that she was all the more eager to be baptized! But this lonliness is such a problem. We have two other investigators, Juanita Luzpa and Daniela Velez, both of whom are always so eager to have us over and talk because they are so lonely. That is what I love about the church. It is another family. You have so many people to rely on and so many friendships to build. And if you do what is right, you have the Holy Ghost with you, making you never alone. I love that feeling! If you feel like someone needs some special attention, give it to them. Everyone needs a frined.
Now to my subject line. So this week has been EXTREMELY SLOW. We could not get a ton of work done because of storms! For like, two days straight we were inside because of storms. We get done with our studies about 10:30, work until 1, eat at someone´s house for an hour, and by then, it is pouring rain and lightning and thunder, all within a mile or two. Your umbrella turns into a lightning rod. So, we were stuck inside all day, two days. We can go out when it is raining, but when it gets too hard or when you have the added pleasure of lightning, hail, and thunder, it is a rule to stay inside. Right now we are in the rainy season, until about May. That means from about 2 o´clock on, we are game for storms and rain. My umbrella is my best friend and I am loving the full length rain coat I was smart enough to get before I came! Yay for me!
Now an Ecua fact: I get hit on at least 20 to 30 times a day, no exaggeration. It can be any of the following: Mi reina, mi novia, mi preciosa, marry me, anything. Whistles are popular, and oh, when they are in their car, they will honk, but if they are with their wife, they will flash their lights at us. Even if I fell flat on my face, I will get hit on. It´s funny, because that is really just their culture. I know I get it more because I am white and stand out, but when we were wtiht he three stooges last week, they would do it to other girls. Me and Thelin got so mad and yelled at them, like show some respect, and you´re practicing on becoming a missionary for crying out loud, but they just laughed and kept doing it. So yeah, it gets pretty funny. People usually say, you´re beautiful, and Thelin will turn around and say, yeah, I know. It´s great, we try and make it fun.
So that is it for this week. Thanks for your continuous support and prayers, I need them and it feels great to have so many loved ones! Till next week!
Hna Kaylee Sorensen
