The faith

I just wanted to start off by saying that the cyber has a bit of air conditioning today and I could not be more happy. It is still really hot but I don´t feel like I am dying in this tiny cramped space with no air circulation and 40 people. It´s funny the things that you start to be grateful for. 

Also something random...the people here have taken to calling me muñequita aka little doll aka barbie. I think it´s hilarious that they all think I´m blonde. But hey, I won´t complain about being confused for Barbie.

This week we were able to teach Carlos again, the deaf/mute. His mom is a pastor for an Evangelical church (not sure what that is in English but here EVERYONE is Evangelica or Catolica). Needless to say, she is not happy that he is meeting with us. And even though he is an adult he is somewhat obligated to live with and rely on his parents because of his lack to communicate with the world around him. In the states he could probably have more opportunities but here...he is kind of stuck. We have to meet with him in secret on random days after work before she comes to get him. He can´t come to church because she says he has to clean the house exactly at 8 am every Sunday (because she knows that is when church is). As we taught him about baptism and faith in the Lord my heart just ached. He has such great faith and such a great desire and is so humble. He said that with time she will understand and then he will be able to get baptized. I hope that he is right. Unfortuntaly, I don´t know enough sign language to tell him that. All I know is some signs that I learned watching Switched at Birth at home (haha who knew that would be useful) and others about the gospel that we printed off from LDS.org. So as always, we continue forward with faith, patience, and love and I know that when the time is right, he will be able to become a member of this church.

A couple of weeks ago Marcos and Juana introduced us to her brother and his family and we have been teaching them too. Niomi and Chico have 3 kids and are a really special family. Every time we teach the whole family is there and is really willing to participate in the lessons. I am excited to see where this family is going to go. Hopefully they can help motivate Marcos and Juana and vice versa. Also in this family are 3 inactive brothers. One lives with Juana and the other two also live in our area. They went inactive practically immediately after their baptism. My guess is that the missionaries didn´t teach the whole Endure to the End part. Anyway, we are literally teaching the ENTIRE family. They´re all really special and I hope that we can work to bring the three inactives back with their families and bring the others into the church. I have a great love for this big family and they welcome us like old friends now after 4 months of teaching them. That is definitely something you learn on the mission, how to love. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me because of the way that I feel about the people I teach. I imagine that is how parents feel too.

This week I was sick...again. This seems to be a pattern in the mission. haha. I started having a really bad headache on Sunday and Monday and felt really really tired. Then yesterday it hit me like a train. I couldn´t walk and was so physically exhausted. We went to one appointment at 11 in the morning and when we came back to the house I crashed in bed for 3 hours. I woke up with a crazy fever, my headache still hadn´t left, and I felt more tired than ever. I got up to eat some bread and tell my companion that we might not leave on time and then went back to bed for another hour. Around 3 I woke up but was so physically exhausted and achy that I didn´t move for a bit. I said a prayer asking what to do. I didn´t want to lay in bed when I should have been out teaching but didn´t feel like I could walk to the door let alone an appointment. So I had a little chat with my Heavenly Father about what was going on. I decided to rest until 5 and then I would get up to teach English at the institute at 530 (I´ve started teaching 2 other classes there because they needed more teachers). I told Him this plan and asked Him to let me know if I should do something differently. I fell back asleep and got up at 430 to shower and get ready again. It was a struggle to move and I wondered how I could keep up with the ´deal´I had made. It was then that I remembered that when I was set apart they had blessed me to be protected from disease, accident, and harm. I said a little prayer again and let Him know that I remembered that blessing and I knew that it was true. I told Him that I would accept being sick if that is what I needed to learn but that I knew that if I had the faith in that blessing that I would be ok because He never makes a promise that He doesn´t complete.

When we got to the institute the assistants told me to go to the hospital because it sounded like I had dengay. I told them I was going to wait one more day to see if the fever stayed. Even though I was still exhausted I was able to walk and felt a little bit better. I taught the English class and then the elders gave us a ride to our next appointment (I think they were afraid of me walking haha). We taught Enrique and Rosa and then went home a little bit early. By the time we were getting ready for bed my fever had started to leave. I woke up this morning feeling fine once again. This was such a testimony to me once again of faith. I had received a blessing of protection and health for my mission but unless I had faith in that blessing it would do me no good. When I exercised my faith in that priesthood and through prayer, and showed my willingness to do whatever the Lord needed me to do...that was when the miracle came. I´m not saying that those that get sick on their missions don´t have faith. Sometimes the Lord has different challenges for you. But for me, this was a moment for me to prove that I had the faith in that blessing to be healed from whatever it was. And just like I was promised, I have health and am able to work and do the things that I need to. The Lord always keeps His word. ALWAYS. He loves us but we have to have faith in Him. You receive no witness until AFTER the trial of your faith. 

Well peeps, that´s about all I´ve got for you this week! I want you to all know that I know that the Lord loves us and that this is His gospel. He is watching over every single one of us and desires to bless us. All we must do is have the faith in Him and His will and His promises. Our Savior loves us and His atonement is sufficient for everyone. Exercise some faith this week. Have a chat with you Father in Heaven and ask Him what you should do with your life right now and then get on your feet and go to work. 

Love you all,

Hna Ewell