Mi Misión en Ecuador

Hola! Buenas tardes de la misionera en Ecuador! :)

Wow how time sure flies by! I cant believe that this is my last week as a missonary and representative of Jesus Christ. Wow. it seems like just yesterday i was in my training as a new missionary. It has been a wonderful experience that i will treasure for my whole life.

This past week we had a great week. I have been so blessed these past few weeks of my mission with so much happiness and miracles. This week we went to the temple and had my last zone conference. It was great! How i love the temple, and it was my last time going to the temple as a missionary here in Guayaquil. Wow. i have had so many great expereinces and memories in this temple here in Ecuador. I know that the temple is the House of God, and that God knows us personally and loves us. 

On Wednesday Mercedes had her baptsimal interview. i was so happy when she got to the church, early, and ready for her interveiw!! :) she was so happy as well after and is so excited for her baptism this coming saturday!

On Saturday we were able to do service at Mercede`s house, and help her bag the sand that she has in front of her house so that she doesnt lose all the sand when the rain comes and floods where she lives. We had the help of the Elders in our distict, and we had a good morning helping Mercedes. She was so happy with the help as well! The sun was suuuuper hot and bright that day, and almost all of us got sunburned!! haha!! .)

Wow. I cant believe my time as a full time missionary has come to an end. I am so grateful for the opportunity i have had to serve the people here in Ecuador. The mission is nothing like i thought it would be. My mission has had its ups and downs, but has always always brought me joy. The misison is not easy, but nowhere in the scriptures does it say that life is easy. In 2 Nephi 31:10 when Jesus says ¨Seguidme¨(Follow me), it does not say that it will be easy. But it does say that it will be rewarding, and that we will find more joy and happiness in His path than in whatever other path we choose. It is the only path that leads us to everlasting life and eternal happiness, some this happiness i have experienced here on my mission!

Througout this path on my mission i have learned SO much. i have been helped and strenghtened through great companions. I have learned so much from each of them, and each of them has helped me in my conversion. each companion i know has been inspired by God. Each ward that i have had the opportunty to serve in has been such a blessing. the members here are amazing. the investigators and conversos are also such special children of God. I feel so grateful for the opportuntiy i have had to serve next to such great leaders, members, and companions.

My mission has taught me that there are MANY ways to share the Gospel! Whether it be through talking, contacting, singing, firesides, service, or another way, i know that we can help and touch other peoples hearts through the Spirit. The Holy Ghost is the true teacher in all the teaching that i do, and i have seen this so many times in my mission. How important it is to teach and always have the Spirit with us!

I know that conversion is a process, a process that lasts a a lifetime. How grateful i am to have been able to see other people convert to the Gospel and find joy in repentace and the Savior. i have seen how people can change their lives through the Atonement of Christ. How people have come unto Christ and found the happiness that they have been looking for. I have found happiness as i have also tried to be more Christ like. It is the only happiness that is real.

Throughout my mission i have come to know better my Heavenly Father. I know that He is my loving Heavenly Father, He lives and has a plan for each of His children that is perfect. I have seen many times in my mission the great power of prayer. I know that Heavnenly Father listens to my prayers. He answers my prayers. i know for a surety that He listens and cares about each one of us. His love is real. I have learned that as we are obedient to His commanments, He will bless us, every time.

I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know He lives, and I love Him. His Atonement has helped me so much on my mission to be better and improve. It has given me the strength i have needed. But not only has it changed me, it has changed many lives of the peop'le here. I have seen its power in the lives of the people i have taught. I have come to understand more of the Savior`s love. I know that He is the perfect example for each one of us. He loves us. He knows each one of us personally. He is the perfect example of charity, and i feel more than honored to have been His representative here in Ecuador.

I know that this is Christ´s true Church that has been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I love sharing the First Vision with the people here, and I love feel the Spirit witness of the truthfullness of this event. I love the Book of Mormon, I know that it comes from God. It has helped me so much to know more about my Savior, and know how to help others with the dificultades that they are going through. I feel so grateful for my testimony of this Book and how it has grown on my mision.

I love this Gospel, I love my Savior, and i love being missionary. I know that as we follow Christ, and follow His invitation in 2 Nephi 31:10 we will find happiness and joy for this life and in the life to come. Thank you for all of your support during my mission! :) Thank you thank you!! :) Cant wait to see you all soon! Have a great week!! :)

con amor,

Hermana Warburton

Alma 7:11-12

Alma 34:9-10

Mosiah 2:22

templo

service at mercedes house with our district

El Amor del Salvador

Buenas tardes!!! ¡¿Cómo están?! ¡Feliz día de amor y amistad! :)

Wow. another week has come and gone. i cant believe how fast this week went by. wow! I hope you all had a great week and were able to feel the Savior´s love, i know that i sure felt His love this week!

This week we started the week off visiting the familia Vera, and talking about families with them. it was awesome. they are such a cute family, working so hard to have a good strong family. Alexandra is reading her Book of Mormon, and is such a great investigator to teach. She is wonderful!

On Tuesday we had a small division with the hnas de Porvenir for a little more than an hour in their sector to help them find a few new families to teach. That day we also were able to visit a new family we found in our sector- la familia perez. They are a part member family and really great! the hno is awesome, and has lots of questions for us, which is good!! 

Wednesday... that day we truly were able to see God´s love for us as His missionaries. We were walking for a while, and NO ONE wanted to let us in. they were either busy, had no time, weren´t home, or just didnt want to let us in. We were a little discouraged, and after we had knocked the last door (the second time we had passed for that house), as we were walking away, we heard someone call to us! it was Alexandra Vera, and she said we could come and share something with her for a moment! we were so happy!! wow. i was amazed! we read the Book of Mormon with her, and i felt so grateful for this expression of love from Heavenly Father and hna vera. ... then after that we saw another miracle when we found a new family to teach! a good family, who even said that would come to church Sunday! although the day started off a little hard, Heavenly Father blessed us for our diligence and work! I felt so grateful for the mercy and love of my Heavenly Father.

Thursday we visited Mercedes (investigador) with the pres of relief socitety - johana. it went so well! johana was amazing, and shared such a great testimony, and knew what Mercedes needed to hear in that moment to help her! Mercedes is such a great daughter of God. She is working so hard to be obedient and change her life. Even with her trials she works hard, and i have had such joy in teaching her. We have been blessed as missionaries to know how to help her and what to share to help her. 

Also that day... we had a great "adventure" in the mud... we were going to visit an invesitagor that lives a little far away, and out in the middle of a tun of mud and plants and basically swamps. well... i about lost my shoes MANY times, and my comp and i were laughing the whole way at the whole situation... our shoes were covered in mud by the end. and when we finally got to the house, the family wasnt home!!! hahaha! 

On Saturday there was a TON of sun.. all day long.... but we were able to visit Rocio, with a member that is a recient convert and it was so special hearing her share her testimony to the investigator, and how the Spirit testified of the changes that have come into her life as she has followed the example of Jesus Christ. We also visited Mercedes that night, and shared with her the Josesph Smith movie, and our ward mission leader was there as well with his wife. it was a good day!!

This week was great and tiring. But i love being a missionary and love seeing how much God loves each of His children. I have learned so much this past week about the importance of agency and how we use our agency. it is a great gift that we are all given, but we need to learn how to use our agency wisely, because when we do, that is when we can see countless blessings come into our lives. I know its true. Ive see the light in peoples eyes as they have come unto Christ and made changes in their lives. How great is the plan of God! His love is infinite. Christ´s love is infinite. The greatest act of His love was the Atonement, that has made it possible for us to find the happiness and joy in this life and in the life to come. I know that as we share with others this great love, that they will find the things that they need in their lives. 

Have a great week! Love you all lots!

con amor,

Hermana Warburton

eating empanadas p day}

       the food the fam pazmiño gave us!

cake for my comps birthday (that was a month ago...)

the mud on my shoes!!

La Expiación y La Obra Misional

This week we had another great week in la tierra de Milagro!! :) i love being here in Milagro!

Monday it rained ALL DAY!! we went to a visit we had waaaaay far out in our sector, and were walking in mud and puddles the whole way there and back.. i dont know how i didnt fall!! haha! it was quite the adventure!! We ended the night visiting the familia vera, who are such an awesome family!! :)

 

Tuesday we got to go to the temple for the start of the Leadership Council Meeting. We were a little rushed getting to the temple, but we made it in time and were able to enjoy the session. I am so grateful to have the temple close and in my mission, and that im able to attend at least once a month as a leader! :)

Wednesday we had our leadership meeting. it was great, and we learned more about our responsabilidades as leaders and how we can help and be better examples to everyone. We watched a great video about  missionary work called "The Atonement and Missionary Work" with Henry B Eyring and Jeffery R Holland talking... if you have time, take a moment to watch it, because it not only applies to missionary work, but callings and the responsabilities we have as members of the Church. 

Thursday we had interviews with President and Hna Riggins and the Asistentes. It went really well. i was soooo proud of my companion who has memorized the First Vision of Joseph Smith in english and she recited it for Hna Riggins in our interview. wow. She did great and the Spirit was there testifying of her words. it was such a neat experience, and im sooo grateful that Hna Peña is my companion! :) 

That day we also visited an investigator Rocio and her kids in las Margaritas. She has been sick for a long time, but this week when we invited her to go to church, she said she would come! even though she doesnt feel well still, she had the desire and wanted to come to church! :) we were soooo happy! as we shared about Joseph Smith and the First Vision, it was the first time she had heard that, but she believes that it is true.

Friday we had an intercambio with the hnas de Porvenir, and i went with Hna Quispe in her sector of Porvenir. it was great! we visited some great families, and i enjoyed working with hna quispe again (i went with her to barrio Samanes for a week a couple of weeks ago): she is an awesome missionary!! 

Saturday we visited Mercedes and taught her about the living profeta, Thomas S. Monson. We showed her a video of his last conference talk, and she enjoyed it. there were a bunch of mosquitos biting us during the lesson... but it was a good lesson! I know that Thomas S Monson is a prophet of God. He guides and helps us know the will of God for us in these days.

Sunday a miracle happened.... we had 8 investigators at church!!!! we were sooooo happy! as they kept coming in, i couldnt not believe it! i was so happy and grateful! Mercedes came to church, Rocio and her kids (who was taken to church by our great ward mission leader in his car!), and other families that we thought would not come, but came! it was amazing! Heavenly Father really blessed us. I am so grateful for His love. Even though i know i am not even close to perfect, i am so grateful that He blesses us for trying and blesses our efforts. I know He loves us!

I am so grateful to be a missionary. Its not always easy, actually missionary work is hard. But its hard, because "salvation was not an easy price to pay" (Jeffery R Holland). Nowhere in the scriptures does it say that missionary work is easy... but its hard, because thats the only way we can be better, and understand a little bit more about the Atonement. If we remember Jesus Christ, even when its hard, we will be given the hope and comfort we need to keep going. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know He loves us. By following His example of obedience and charity, we can truly find happiness and peace. 

Have a great week!! love you all!! :)

con amor,

Hermana Warburton

The temple

 

Consejo de Lideres (leadership council).. all the hnas from my group! i shared my last testimony in the leadership council! wow. i cant believe it!!

pic of all the leaders at the conference 

La Caridad y La Lluvia en Ecuador

Hola! Buenas tardes! 

This week was pretty good! We had some new world wide mission changes, and saw and visited some great families this week! :) Also... it rained A LOT this week.... 

On Monday we had a fun FHE with 2 families in the ward. 1 family of members, and the other part members (the familia torres lara). it was fun to teach them all about the Restoration, in a fun and interactive way (my pictionary! ).

On Tuesday we visited the part member family of the familia vera. they are so great. we had a great lesson, that was guided by the Spirit. I am SO grateful for the Spirit in teaching. We are NOT smart enough to know what the people need, and so it is only by the Spirit that we are able to have success and really teach what they need to hear. That night we also visited a recent convert and her family- Luica. She is really sweet, and her 2 little granddaughters were there as well listening to us (and they are not members). The granddaughters enjoyed listening to us as well, and the cute little granddaughter at the end of the lesson asked if she could have my missionary badge. She wanted one just like mine! I said, "well my name tag doesnt have your name on it. How about we make you one of your own?" I made a little missionary name tag with a piece of paper, and put it on her shirt with a bobby pin i had, and she was so happy!! it was the cutest thing ever!

On Wednesday we had a world wide missionary training by the Church Missionary Department. It was great! they went over the training from the year before, and talked a lot about the importance of the Doctrine of Christ and applying that doctrine into our lives as missionaries. it was really great! and then they made the announcement of changes in our daily schedule as missionaries and the numbers that we need to inform!! it was cool!! so now we have more agency to choose when we do certain things. we can now leave earlier in the morning, and the biggest change- p-day now starts at 8am instead of 10 am! wow. it was cool!! 

Thursday we had a zone conference with President to go over all the things that were said in the missionary training and to clarify a few things. I always love learning from President, and the way that he teaches. He teaches in a way that everyone remembers it, and its always by the Spirit. that night it was raining A TON and when we left the church to go to our appointment.. we got soaked! there was so much rain!

On Friday we had an intercambio (exchange) with the hermanas from the ward Paraíso. I went with Hna Quispe (my old comp) in her sector of Paraíso. it went really well!! i love working with the hnas, and seeing all the good things they are doing. in these intercambios, we enjoy teaching, finding, and contacting in her sector, and seeing what goals we can set to be better in all aspects of missionary work. We had a good time teaching and meeting new people!

On saturday we taught a training for visiting teachers and enjoyed helping the relief society. that day we also were able to see Mercedes. She said she wants to get baptized!!! she had been waiting the whole week to see us and tell us that! she was so excited! i just love her so much, and we are working so hard so that she can get baptized as soon as possible and receive the blessings she wants.

This week we taught a lot about the Restoration and the importance of how Christ established His church. i am so grateful for the knowledge we have of the Restoration, and of the great importance it is to each one of us. we dont have to be in the dark and in confusion. we can have the light, because the Church that Christ established is here on earth once more! Also something that President taught us this past week was about charity. Charity is the pure love of Christ, and that pure love that Christ gave is the Atonement. Charity=Atonement. As we apply the Atonement in our lives, we can develop and have more charity, because we are becoming more like Christ! i am so grateful for the Gospel and the things we can learn each day through the Spirit!! have a great week!!

con amor,

Hermana Warburton

the rain!!... wow...

Una Semana de Milagros

This week was great! This week we saw milagros in Milagro, and i really saw the Hand of the Lord in the work we are doing, and how He loves us and blesses us!

This past week we taught a part member family- with Alexandra y Carlos. They are an amazing family and are so sweet! how i love them!! We were able to go with another family in the ward to visit them, and had a great lesson. we explained about the Great Apostacy and The First Vision. Wow. When we shared the First Vision, the Spirit was so strong in the room. We asked Alexandra in that moment if she believed that Jose Smith was a profeta and she said yes! She felt the Spirit, and so did everyone. it was such a neat experience to be there with them in that moment.

On Wednesday we had a great day with lots of lessons that we could teach. it was awesome!! we were so happy to be able to find lots of people receptive and willing to listen to us, and also at home! :) Also we were able to visit a few of the members and their families this week, and as we visited them, i felt so happy to be here in Ecuador meeting people like them. There are families here that are truly incredible, who are so great and have so much light in their eyes. they work so hard to have a happy family and obey the commandments of God. wow. i am so grateful to know them!

Sometimes i feel like we work so hard, try to be so obedient, but sometimes i cant see the results. Yesterday we were able to see the results! Yesterday, Sunday we did all we could to have our investigators come to church. We called, we passed by their houses, and nothing. We were pretty sad, as we walked into church and had stake conference, and our investigators didnt come. it was hard! But when the meeting ended, and we were saying goodbye to the people that came, one of our investiators came up to us to greet us! Wow!! we were soooo happy!!! we had no idea he had come, he had come a little late, and we hadnt seen him, but he came to church with his family!! Wow. we were so happy! 

Then that night as we visited an investigator and her children, she told us she wanted to be baptized as soon as possible! we were so happy for her! :) wow. i know that God knows us His missionaries and is guiding and helping us in every step of the way. its amazing. i feel so grateful to be His missionary and to be able to visit His children and help them with the things they need! I know He will bless us when we do all we need to do and are obedient. Wow. i know that we were guided and blessed this week. i feel SO GRATEFUL to be here and so grateful to be a missionary now in Ecuador! :) I know that the Gospel really is the way that we can find the solutions to all of our problems. i can help each and every one of us with whatever thing we are are going through! I hope you all have a great week!! 

con amor,

Hermana Warburton

there was this bridge and i was SUPER scared to cross it, cause well just look at it! it could break any second and i could fall off the edge!!!!!!

me with a HUGE mango!!! :) YUM

la familia lara! :) i just love them!

Barrio Samanes... Otra Vez :)

Hola! :) Buenas tardes :)

This week was a little different from normal... i had a blast from the past this week!

On Tuesday morning i got a call from the assistents that i would be working in Samanes (my 2nd sector) this week until Sunday to contact all the references that we recieved from the big Christmas event in Parque Samanes. So that afternoon i went with Hna Quispe (in Zona Milagro that also worked in barrio Samanes) to go and work in Samanes! :)

We had a great week there in Samanes. it was so neat to see all the members again. that ward is great, the members are amazing, and the families there are wonderful! wow. i loved seeing them all again. they were all so willing to help us, give us lunch, and accompany us to visit their references. 

We had a lot of walking around and contacting people. thats what we did ALL week long. contact. rain or shine we contacted. and yes it poured rain on us one day, but we kept going, and we were able to visit a lot of the families that went to Parque samanes and took pictures or went to the show. We had a fun time contacting the people asking them if they remembered the girl that sang Ave Maria... and then saying well that was me, "Can i sing it for you right now, and then we can bless your house?" :) They almost all said yes! it was awesome! it was a good way to be able to enter their house, visit with them, sing them a song, and then sing a hymn, and then pray with them! we were able to meet some great families, which will be great investigators!

Sunday i was also able to go to Sacrament Meeting in the Samanes ward, and so it was just like old times! :) i was able to see some of my converts as well, and Amalia my convert. Oh how i just love her!! :) She is doing wonderful!! just as sweet as ever! im so happy for her! :) Wow. i know i said it earlier, but i just love that ward. as i was sitting in relief society meeting, i was just thing about how much i love the people here. they have helped me grow, ive watched them grow, and its been amazing to see how the Gospel touches every one of our lives.

This morning as i was studying i was thinking about the Plan of Salvation and the principle of remembering things. I was reminded of how in young womens and all throughout my life i have always been taught the Plan of Salvation. At times i thought it was a little repetitive and i wondered why we always had the same lesson. This morning as i thought about it, i realized a few things. that the Plan of Salvation is so important and is basically the center of all we do. if we understand this plan, we will make good choices and be happy. we will apply the Atonement in our lives. so we need to always be learning about it! also, as humans we tend to forget things, and its the little things we do that really help us be better and continue in this plan. So while we may think things are repetitive, they are not, because there is always something new we can learn, and doing the small things over time accomplishes the greatest things! So keep working and doing the small things that will help you to stay in the strait and narrow path in this great Plan of Salvation that God has given us. its perfect, and i know that He loves us! :)

love you all! have a great week! :)

con amor,

Hermana Warburton

Hna Gloria Perez y Evangelina (daughter of Francis) with hna quispe (my comp of the week!)

Hna Chacon :) I just love the familia Chacon!

 

cambios!

 

Los Grillos... y Milagros

Buenas tardes!! :) First week of the year! FELIZ AÑO! 

This week we had a good week, with lots of ups and downs and milagros en Milagro! :)

On monday we were able to teach our recent convert Jefferson the Plan of Salvation again, and teach him more about family history and the temple. i am so grateful for this great Plan that lets us see our family again, and have happiness now and in the eternities!

On wednesday we had our zone conference with President and Hna Riggins. it went really well! i always love learning from our President! We watched the world wide missionary training conference from last year.. because lots of missionaries are new and had not seen it. it was a good reminder of teaching repentence and baptizing converts, and about the way we need to teach by the Spirit, and work with members. i was reminded of the importance of listening. listening as we teach-- to the investigators, to our companion, and to the Spirit! Its so important to listen to the Spirit! :)

On Thursday it had its ups and downs... there werent a lot of people home, but we were able to teach Mercedes which was great. She is a great investigator, and each time i teach her i feel the love that God has for her.

On friday...a day i will always remember.... well this day we had the war of the grillos (crickets). i dont know what happened.. we went to sleep thursday night and we woke up friday and there were a billion crickets in the house! the house was FULL of crickets. and we were in an intercambio, so it was with another companion (hna hurtado). the house was full of these insects, and it was sooooo nasty!!! eww! that day i was so excited when we got to leave the house! we worked that day, and had a good day with hna hurtado working in my sector. we were able to find a few new investigators as well. that night after we switched companions  and i was with hna peña again, we came back to the house and there were still a billion crickets!!! we spent about an hour trying to get them all out of the house. it was terrible!! luckily after that we havent found as many in the house (but there are still some in the house)... but oh.. i never want to see a cricket again!!!!!

Saturday we had a cool lesson! when all of our appointments fell, we decided to visit a part member family. the wife is a member, and the husband is not. we visited them, and the lesson was guided by the Spirit. it was so neat! they are not married, and the husband wanted to get married in a few months from now. we talked to them, shared a scripture with them, and as he read, he understood all the blessings that come from marriage and keeping the commandments, and after he read that, he himself said put a new date for their marriage for the next month! it was awesome! i was amazed at how the Spirit worked in that lesson, and that we are not really the teachers, but the Spirit is!

I am so grateful for the Gospel, for the Atonement and for prophets. i know that this is Christ´s Church. I love how the Scriptures truly help us to find the answers to the questions we have and invite the Spirit. i know that the role of the Holy Ghost is so important- to testify of truth, to teach us, and to testify of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We shared Mosiah 2:22 with many people this week, and I know that as we keep the commandments and live righteously, we will prosper, and will receive the blessings that we need. Have a great week! love you all!!

con amor, 

Hermana Warburton

the grillos (crikets) 

thats just a few... there were tons!!!!!!

FELIZ AÑO 2017

HOLA!! FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!! :) wow. Pueden creer que es 2017??! wow. :)

This past week we had a good week. Monday and Tuesday we had an intercambio with the hnas of the ward Porvenir. I went with Hna Warburton in her sector. she is awesome! i love working with her! she is just the sweetest and an awesome missionary!

Wednesday we had a fun noche de hogar with the familia Zambrano and Acosta. The familia Zambrano are a  part member family and the familia Acosta are members that came with us and really helped us in the lesson. we talked about the new year and the goals we want to set! 

Thursday was the beginning of the Leadership Council we have each month with president riggins. Thursday night we went to the temple. i am amazed how there is always something new we can learn each time we go to the temple. when we really want to learn, there is always something to be learned!

Friday we had the leadership council. it was great. we talked about what it really means to be a leader and how we can help other missionaries and the examples that we need to be. we were reminded of a few things we can do better and how we can work better with the part member families. it was great as usual!! that night we came back to Milagro and we were able to go to a small part of the ward party and talk to some great families and find new people to teach!

Saturday we spent the day in las Magaritas. we taught Mercedes, who is doing great. she is amazing and i am always amazed at her strength and desire to learn more and be obedient to the commandments. i just love her! :) That night was new years eve... and here in ecuador its a BIG holiday! fireworks for hours... and they burn monigotes, which are dolls made of cardboard (big or small) and they represent the old year. so they burn the old year and welcome in the new year!! :) its pretty cool!! 

Wow. i cant believe its 2017!! im so excited for all the new year has in store and all the things i have learned in 2016. as i reflected on the past year, i was so grateful for all the things i have been able to do. it has been an incredible year here in ecuador and i feel so grateful to have spent it as a missionary. i have learned innumerable things and there are still so many things i can and need to learn! thats one thing i learned this week... there is always something about the Gospel that we can learn. through scripture study, prayer, church  attendance, temple attendance and other things that invite the Spirit, really we can learn each day something that will help us become more like Christ and understand the plan God has for us! 

have a great 2017!

con amor,

Hermana Warburton

pic of the leadership conference

new years eve

a really big dragon munigote