Week 15! "Lightening, Thunder, EARTHQUAKE!"

From 4/21/14

 

Hola Family and Friends!

FIRST THINGS FIRST: I LOVE YALL. <3 Okay, now...

 

1) Friday at 9:30, we had our first earthquake as we were studying. At first I thought Hermana C was shaking the table haha. Then we both looked up at each other and just ran around the house yelling NO WAY THIS IS SO COOL! haha

It felt like we were on a boat. Exactly like we were on a boat. I actually thought about our family on the lake boat at that moment haha. We live on the second floor of our beautiful CONCRETE house. And it shook like jello.

We left the house and stood in the doorway until it passed. Cool!! I don't think it was really that strong though and it didn't last for too long but it was pretty great all the same.

Then later that day, we were IN THE MIDDLE OF A LIGHTNING STORM. Sorry this is all in Caps lock but it deserves to be capitalized. I am shouting these sentences in my mind as I type them out. Now, when I say we were in the middle of a lightning storm, I mean that literally. I could see the electricity directly outside of our windowpanes. No manches!!

So that happened now let me tell you something that I thought was hilarious.

 

This past week, like Tiffy said, was Semana Santa. It was really weird. W E I R D. Friday just so happened to be the day that a member of the Catholic Church is assigned to carry an enormous wooden cross through a parade and wear a crown of thorns as people beat him in the streets. BEAT him. Punches, kicks--the works. So moving along.

At night I called the district leader to give him los datos for the day, and he told me that he and the ZL looked out the window in their area Friday morning and saw this HUGE procession of a man carrying a cross, when all of a sudden the earthquake hit, and then the lightning storm followed. They said they laughed so hard when that happened in the morning. I was laughing so hard imagining that as he told me. So funny. But so weird. 

 

2) Hermana C's man is serving in Tonga right now. He has a companion that is from Ecuador. I am part Ecuadorian too. There are no coincidences. Hna C and her man are going to get married for sure. Just for the fact alone that she and he have companions from Ecuador right now. :D

 

3) It was finally Easter on Sunday! My compañera and I have been celebrating Easter for the past three Sundays now. haha. 

 

4) I gave my very first talk in Spanish on Sunday. All I know is that I got up there opened my mouth and blacked out for a few minutes. Before I knew it, I was done. I have no idea what I said though. Afterward, the bishop came up to me and Hna C & said that our talks were very "potente". I was SO impressed and happy with mi compañera. She did an AWESOME job!!

 

5) My comp also loves Jose Jose, a famous Mexican artist. She mentioned this to a 60+year old member and she freaked out and got a CD of Jose Jose for Hermana C. I was pretty sure she was going to cry when she got it. 

 

6) Also BLESS YOU ALL for the photos you sent this week. I have been praying so hard to have photos of you all this week. I am so happy. You can't even imagine.

Below is a really small piece of this week. It talks about yesterday which was super special :)

"Convert 'O' passed the sacrament for the first time. As I watched him carefully pass the trays of bread and water, I thought about where he was in his life when we first met him & then I thought about everything that has brought him to this point in his life now. A faithful, baptized member of the church who holds the Priesthood and is worthy to pass the sacrament. That actually is a miracle.

 

Another recent convert, 'V', was asked to give the class in Relief Society. She was baptized in March after only knowing about the church for a few weeks. And yesterday, the Lord allowed us to be in the class that she prepared. She taught about the life of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. She was so incredibly prepared. She taught as if she had been a member of the church her entire life and I felt the Spirit so strongly as she spoke and bore her testimony. As I thought about her, I felt great peace and happiness.

 

Sunday night again, I thought about what had happened during the day. And my heart was so full with gratitude and I felt joy. There will always be work to do. The work is never done. I know that there is always room for improvement, but the Lord accepts our best efforts then He helps us to be a little more than our best the next day and the next day. I am learning to appreciate the little moments. In them, I can see heaven's help. I feel my Heavenly Father's love for me and I know that He is pleased with my best.

I reread a letter that a sister missionary wrote to me when I was in the MTC, she said, 'There will be hard moments, but the Lord doesn't want you returning home as the same Ashley. He is going to stretch you to become what He needs you to be as His missionary.' I know that is true. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father listens to and answers our prayers because He loves us infinitely."

I love you all. Sorry for the short letter this week. I LOVE YOU

Con Amor,
 

Hermana Fernelius <3