Ecuador Quito North @quirksofquito - Tumblr Blog

Guinea Pig!!!

Letter #11 - My Week = Lots of Rain and Parasites - 3.23.2015

My First Zone Conference

You have been sent to Earth in this dispensation of time because of who you are and what you have been prepared to do. Remember it and never forget it... How was your week? This week went by crazy fast. I feel like I say that every week, but it is true. Time is flying! I cannot believe it is almost April, conference, and Easter! You know you are a missionary when you are counting down the days till General Conference! haha! We are really excited for conference! My new goal is to try to read all of the talks in all the general conferences before I end my mission! I have been trying to read them in Spanish and translate them because it helps me improve my grammar. What's Going on Medically This week was another busy week in the hospital. It has been freezing this week here! It rained every day and was also really cold. It is rainy season, but it usually only rains in the afternoons, but oh not this week. We were freezing all week. With more rain brought more sick missionaries (including my companion and I) especially missionaries with parasites. Lots of stomach pains! I am getting really good at saying "Ok, will you take a stool sample and send me the results?" haha. All jokes aside, it really is a huge problem in our mission. President and Sister Richardson are having me try to track in what parts of the mission we have the most stomach issues to try to see what we need to do to prevent missionaries from getting them. Most of the missionaries are those serving in the countryside, but there are missionaries from all over that have gotten it. This week I had my first Colonoscopy and Endoscopy at least while I have been a missionary. I am really grateful for the experience that I have had before my mission because it really has prepared me to be a better nurse for the missionaries. It went really well. We were there all day. We are waiting for further results and will find out more information of why a missionary has been sick for so long this week. We are crossing our fingers we find something, but something that is treatable and something that can be treated on the mission so he does not have to go home. Dreams Bad weather also brought some crazy dreams! I kept having those dreams that you wake up and say "oh phew, I am really glad that was just a dream". A couple of times, I would wake up and forget where I was. "Oh ya, I am in Ecuador." I also had the best dream about the fambam though! It was pretty funny. Nicole was serving at the top of Chile and we got permission to spend PDays together. Then, the rest of the family would travel down every Monday to spend PDay with us. I remember the first PDay, when Nicole and I first saw each other since we had been out, Nicole came up to me and we started talking. Then, she stopped and said "You know we can hug." Haha. We started bawling the moment that we hugged because we had not seen each other for so long. Then, we went to a store and you started speaking really good Spanish. I was very impressed. Haha. I know you all wanted to hear about my dream! The moral of the story is, I am really grateful to have such an amazing family! It is a big sacrifice as a missionary to leave your family and only be able to talk to them once a week via email, but it sure does strengthen your appreciation and testimony of The Plan of Salvation! It really is a PERFECT plan. I feel so lucky to have the knowledge of how to be able to live with the people I love most forever and even more lucky to be able to share it with those who do not have it in their lives! I miss you guys everyday! I miss spending time with you and seeing your smiling faces! I miss all of our outdoor adventures like hiking, skiing, and boating! I cannot wait till the day that I can see you and give you a big hug! I dream about that day...literally! Haha!

Juana and Sus Hijos I stinkin love this family. People are truly ready to hear the gospel and just do not know where to find it. Juana is living proof. This week she was sick and she received a priesthood blessing! It was a really special experience especially because it was her first blessing. I am grateful for the opportunity to be there as she felt the power of the priesthood on the earth today. This week was another busy week in the hospital, but this is why she is so great because she continues to read and study the gospel even when we can only teach her once a week. We asked her Saturday if she still wanted to be baptised and she said yes. We also asked her kids. Her youngest turns 8 on April 13 so we moved back their date so they can all get baptized together on April 18th. It was so cute when we were asking Juana if she wanted to be baptized, the youngest girl shouted "YO TAMBIEN, YO TAMBIEN". Her kids always remind me that we all need to become as a little child. They possess so many Christlike attributes. I see it everytime that I teach them and when they go to church with us. Also, Juana told us that before when we asked her she was not sure, but that morning she had a confirmation that this was the true church and she knew that needed to be baptized. She said she started to read the bible and flipped it open to a random page and it was about baptism. She also said when we testify that Heavenly Father loves her, that she actually believes us whereas when people had told her before it was just words to her. She needs a job and we are grateful for the ward members because they have been helping her find a job. I said this last week, but I really have seen the importance of members in missionary work. Missionaries need the members help!!! Juana and her family are struggling right now and it has been a huge blessing to see how willing the members are to step in to help!!! I am really excited to continue teaching her and her kids. I really do love them! I get so excited when we go to their house. Their little boy comes over the side of the wall to see who is at the door and he shouts "Las missionaries" and runs down to open the door. It is so cute! How Simple It Is I have learned a lot this week, as normal. That is one thing that I absolutely love about being a missionary is how much you learn about the gospel, about yourself, and so many other things every single day. This week I have really learned how easy it is to have true happiness in our lives. Our course is clear and certain. It is to strictly obey the commandments of the Lord, as they are recorded in the scriptures and as they are being given by the living prophets. I think it is often easy for us to compromise, rationalize, and justify our actions even though we know deep down what we should do. I am not really sure why we do this to ourselves because when we live the commandments we really are more happy in our lives. We all do it though. I know that wickedness of any kind will never lead to happiness. I know that Satan is real and effective in the hearts of men. I also know that God lives and through him we can accomplish all things. No matter what our circumstances are. I know that Jesus Christ suffered for each and everyone of us more than we could ever comprehend. He already suffered for us, so why don't we use the Atonement in our lives. Do we want what he suffered through for me, for you, or for those people we love to go in vain? It is simply laid before us and although the process of changing is not easy, the promises and rewards of using the Atonement are far more worth the difficulties of the process or what we might think we are giving up. I know that we compromise our blessings, we rationalize ourselves, out of the sure and safe way, when we do not use the Atonement in our lives or we don't ask God to guide us in the decisions that are part of our daily lives. The Lord has promised that he will help us in our pursuit of happiness if we will trust in him and follow his path. I know that living the gospel of Jesus Christ brings true happiness and lasting happiness. God gave us commandments because He loves us. I testify of this. We find security, we find peace, we find joy in his paths. We become better people and get one step closer to reaching our full potential when we stay on his path and continuously try harder to be better in the places we fall short. My invitation to you this week is to find something that you are struggling with or need to be better at and work to make that weakness stronger a little each day. Pray for strength. I promise as you humble yourself, ask for help and strength from our Heavenly Father, you can make your weaknesses strengths and you will see the difference in your life. I promise all things are possible through Him. I know that each of our potentials are far beyond what we think they are and honestly I think they are beyond what we can comprehend. If we just have the courage to take a step each day, we will get one step closer to reaching that potential. We will all fall short because we are imperfect and Heavenly Father knew that which is why we have the Atonement. I promise as you use the Atonement in your life continually you will gain a testimony of it for yourself and will see it change your lives for the best. I have seen it in my own life and I have seen it so many other people's life. I know that as we do our part and do all that we can do to become better, Heavenly Father will help us with the rest. My hope is that we will all work towards reaching our full potential.

The Nurse is Sick...Wait What? Yes, my companion and I have been sick this week. It really is not fun to be sick as a missionary!!! Everyone thinks it is pretty hilarious when they find out because everyone calls us when they are sick. Our district leader last night said, "Well, I am sure you guys know what to do." We did not go to the doctor because you can get antibiotics over the counter in Ecuador. The medications are so cheap here too. It is so weird because it is so different than the States where you have a prescription. We are hoping to get back to 100% soon!!! :) I love you guys so much! I hope you guys a have a wonderful week! Hermana Pemberton

#letter11 #missionpics

Town of Otavala (top) Delicious Cuisine in Ecuador!(mid2) Volcano

#letter10 #missionpics

Letter #10 - That Awkward Moment...3.16.15

Dear Family & Friends, Ahh I look forward to writing you guys every week so much! Yay for Mondays! Haha! I love you guys soo much and miss you everyday! Can you believe another week has passed! It flew by for me!!! Hopefully, your week was wonderful!!! Thanks for your emails! I love hearing about everything that is going on in your lives! Doctors Trying to Hug and Kiss You Yup, it happened. Not joking. It would be awkward if this happened in the States, but it is even more awkward when you are a missionary because you cannot hug. When we were leaving this doctor came into hug me and I pushed him back saying "No puedo, no puedo". I do not know what he was thinking because after I pushed him away saying that he thought it would be ok to give me a kiss. Thank goodness, I think I made big enough of a scene that he stopped, but now thinks I am weird. Every time I see him he puts his hand out and backs away even if we are not that close. He makes a funny face when he does it too. It is funny and always sooo awkward. Taxi Drivers We take a lot of taxis because the hospital is too far to take the bus. We talk with most of the taxi drivers to share the gospel since we do not have a ton of opportunities to contact when we have a lot of appointments at the hospital. We really are not aloud to contact unless it comes up in a conversation at the hospital. Anyways, we had a really funny experience in one of the taxis this week. Another, awkward moment.... Taxi driver: How many boyfriends do you have? Me: None Taxi driver: PORQUE? (WHY?) Taxi driver: Have you ladies been robbed yet? Us: Ummm no Taxi driver: Someone must have robbed your beautiful hearts though, right? Taxi driver: Why are you beautiful ladies not married? When can you get married? And then 1000 more questions like that.... I do not think that I have heard someone use "beautiful" so many times in one conversation. We were really excited to make it home (safely) to say the least. Have you ever had a taxi driver stop and get bread? Well, it happened this week. He was hilarious. Then, one of the taxi drivers went and got gas and filled up his tires...haha.

Otavala/Ibarra I think that it actually hit me on our trip to Otavala that I AM IN ECUADOR. We went on Friday to check out the hospitals that we have contracts with. It was about a two hour bus ride. The buses were really nice compared to the ones that we usually take. They played awful music the whole way though. It was like Alvin the Chipmunks singing the whole way. We wished we brought earplugs. I did not care though because I was preoccupied by scenery outside. Ecuador is truly BEAUTIFUL. So so many mountains, green fields, and rivers. We went to Otavala first. I thought that I had seen poor in Quito, but I realized I had seen nothing when I got to Otavala. The people there are soo poor. It was sad to see, and very humbling. Many of their houses were small cement houses. Many of them were missing walls and doors. There were tons of dogs everywhere that had broken legs, half their hair was missing, and just looked sick. There were some dirt roads. The town was really quiet compared to Quito. I kept asking my companion, "where is everybody?". I have gotten really used to the crazy noises of the city. Many of the people there wear the traditional dresses of their culture. It is a long blue skirt with a white blouse that has flowers. Then, a really colorful thick belt. Sometimes they wear a smaller colorful belt in their hair. If you want to see a picture then google Otavala, I am sure it will come up. I felt a little awkward saying "hey, can I take a picture of you" when they do not know me, so I am sorry! Google it though! Then, just imagine a whole town wearing that! It was really special because you do not see that now a days very often. All the guys have long hair and it is in braids. I guess that it is a sign of rebellion if they cut it. We first went to the hospital. It looks like an old museum. It was really dirty and falling apart. The emergency room was two beds. I am really grateful that we had the opportunity to go see it because now I know what conditions I would feel comfortable sending the missionaries there for and those I would rather them go to Ibarra for or come into Quito. After, meeting administration and looking around the hospital we went to this shopping block in the middle of the town. It was a lot like the one we went to in Italy (Nicole and Kendra). They sold a lot of handmade bags, ponchos, and blankets. We were a magnet there. After, we went to this Colombian restaurant. YUM! It was HUGE. See the picture if you do not believe me! haha! There was sausage, fried banana, pig tail, rice (of course), steak, and salad! They had really good lemonade there too! We went to this really good ice cream place after since now I am obsessed with ice cream. So weird. It takes more like sorbet here than ice cream to me. We had a little extra time before we had to head to Ibarra so we went and taught one of my companion's old converts. He was baptized last August, but he had become inactive. It made us really sad to hear. It was cool though because he said that he was just thinking he needed some motivation to go back to church and then we knocked on his door. It was really pretty in Otavala. The town is surrounded by two Volcanoes and mountains. We headed to Ibarra which was about 30 minutes away. We also went there to look at their hospitals. It was more wealthy there. It was like a mini Quito. The first hospital we went to, I was really really impressed! The administrator was really helpful and gave us a tour. They had a lot of different specialties and then also an emergency room, surgery, and rooms that patients could be admitted. I feel really comfortable sending the missionaries there for appointments!

Surgery and E Coli This week was another crazy week at the hospital and this upcoming week will be too. One of the missionaries called complaining of a bump on his back that was causing him a lot of pain. I asked him how long it had been there and he said it has been growing for the last 4 weeks. I asked him to send me a picture so that I could see it and it blew me away! I thought it might have been a bug bite because of how he explained, but it was the size of a tennis ball!!! He went to the doctor and they diagnosed it as a lipoma and he will have surgery this week to remove it because they are concerned that it will keep growing and get close to his spine. We continue to have a lot of stomach issues. The Mission President's wife notified me of the missionary who died from E. Coli. Sooo sad. We actually have a missionary who has E. Coli now and has not really recovered from it so we are trying to figure out what the best way to help him. They are thinking that he will have to get an endoscopy and probably do a bunch of other tests. He tried a new medication this week which really has helped him which is really comforting to us and Hermana Richardson.

Miracles-There is one EVERYDAY! This week we only had 5 hours to teach in our area because we were so busy at the hospital, BUT it sure was a great 5 hours! We only have one person with a baptism date right now. She is awesome and if she gets baptized her kids will probably also get baptized. They are all really interested in the church. She just has some things that she needs to work out before it can happen so we have to move her date back to 3/28. I love teaching her and her cute kiddos. We decided to contact people who we had not taught yet. We went to one house who we had met previously just on the street, but she was not home. Then, we prayed and felt like we should try the apartment above that house. No one answered then I told my companion that I felt like we needed to go more up because the front door was around the back. It was really hidden. We went up and knocked. No answer. Knocked again. No answer. Then, we heard something so we tried one more time. A 17 year old boy answered the door. He said that he lived with his family of TEN. We were able to teach him lesson 1. He was really interested and involved in the lesson. I felt really strongly to pull out a Book of Mormon (which I have learned never ever to go without one). It was a lot like when I felt like I should take it out when we were at the train station in Europe. I do not know exactly why, but I knew that I needed to give it to him. We were able to make another appointment with him and with his family for this week! Afterwards, we went by the house that we left a sticky note on earlier and my companion noticed that it was not there anymore. So, we decided to knock again. The daughter answered with her two kids. We introduced ourselves and then immediately she invited us in which never happens might I add! Very, very cool. Her kids were 2 years old and 4 years old. The 4 year old boy has down syndrome. When we sat down my companion started teaching and she had to go do something so I leaned over to my companion and told her that I felt like I needed to teach the Plan of Salvation instead of lesson 1. She said that she felt that too! We did not know exactly why we needed to teach that, but at the end we asked her if she would be baptized and she said no because she was Catholic. She really found the Plan of Salvation fascinating though and said she had never heard of something like it. She also asked how our church was different from all of the other ones. She said that she felt different when we were teaching her. That she was at peace and could feel something when we testified. I think we needed to teach the Plan of Salvation because that was what she needed to hear. She told us she had been struggling with her son that has down syndrome. I think Heavenly Father knew that she would be more accepting of our message if we started with the Plan of Salvation. Another cool experience that I had during this lesson was my companion started talking and then she leaned over and said "I want you to testify of Jesus Christ now. I think she needs to hear your testimony." It was right in the middle of the lesson and took me off guard, but of course I agreed. I suddenly started crying when I started because I felt His love for her and her kids. I felt that it was not just chance that we stopped at her door. We stopped by because Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love her. That Jesus Christ KNOWS her difficulties and challenges and sent us to her to teach her about something that they knew would bring her true happiness, hope, and help in this life. I really felt the power of the gift of tongues when I was testifying. It is true that when you open your mouth the words just come. I said things that I probably would not have said without the Holy Ghost and the gift of tongues. I straight up told her that Jesus Christ wanted her to accept the gospel in her life because He knew the happiness it would bring into her life. She did not accept to be baptized on Saturday, but she did want to be taught more. We have an appointment with her tonight. Did I mention... I LOVE being a missionary? Haha!

Trust in the Lord I read the most amazing talk this week. It is called Trust in the Lord by Richard G. Scott. All of you should get on the computer and look it up...NOW. Two parts that I loved was when he talks about when we have trials it is really easy to ask why did this happen to me? Why do I have to suffer this, now? What have I done to cause this? But all of those questions are pointless and get you no where. Instead we should be asking..What am I to do? What am I to learn from this experience? What am I to change? Whom am I to help? How can I remember my many blessings in times of trial? You guys I testify of this. When we do this and ask these questions we will grow from our trials, be able to help others from the things we learn in our trials, and we will be more happy. I have seen it in my life. We are given trials because Got LOVES us. He knows what we can become and we need to reach our full potential. I have seen every trial I have had build my testimony and teach me valuable lessons. I would have not learned half the lessons I have learned without them. Remember these questions when life gets hard and I promise as you do, you will see how trials, hardships, and problems are actually blessings! They help us and can help others! God knows what we need to reach our full potential. Trust in him. The other part that I really loved was when Richard G. Scott said: "The Lord’s plan is to exalt you to live with Him and be greatly blessed. The rate at which you qualify is generally set by your capacity to mature, to grow, to love, and to give of yourself. He is preparing you to be a god. You cannot understand fully what that means, yet, He knows. As you trust Him, seek and follow His will, you will receive blessings that your finite mind cannot understand here on earth. Your Father in Heaven and His Holy Son know better than you what brings happiness. They have given you the plan of happiness. As you understand and follow it, happiness will be your blessing. As you willingly obey, receive, and honor the ordinances and covenants of that holy plan, you can have the greatest measure of satisfaction in this life. Yes, even times of overpowering happiness. You will prepare yourself for an eternity of glorious life with your loved ones who qualify for that kingdom."--Richard G. Scott I know that that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true. I know that Jesus Christ lives today. I know that both our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love each and everyone of us. They know us individually. I love you guys soo much! Thank you for being you! I miss you guys everyday and am so grateful to have you in my life. You make me a better person everyday! You give me strength on the hard days! Until next week! Love always, Hermana Pemberton

#letter10 #missionpics

Life in Quito.

3.9.2015

#missionpics

Letter #9 - Emergency Room!! 3.9.2015

View of Hospital and View from Hospital

Hello family and friends!!! I hope you all had a wonderful week! My week was crazy! It flew by! I spent a lot of this week at the hospital! I miss you guys tons and think of you often! I hope everyone is doing well! Count Your Many Blessings Well, after this week I have really realized how blessed I am. Honestly, I feel a little spoiled. I am so blessed to have a family that is strong in the gospel of Jesus Christ. For amazing parents who raised me in the gospel and always showed me what is most important in this life. Who has given me more than I could ever ask for. Who have taught me so many important life long lessons that have helped me become the person I am. I am so blessed to have the brothers and sisters that I have. Brothers and sisters who always push me to be better each and everyday. Who love and support me in everything I do. Who are my best friends. Who have so many admirable traits. I feel so blessed to have grown up in the United States. For the opportunity to get a college degree in something that I love and for all the opportunities in general that I have had in my life. I feel so blessed to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This week we had to go to the office to talk to the mission doctor. On our way home we came across a family that had 2 or 3 little kids and were digging out of the trash cans for food. I wanted to cry when I saw this and wanted to give them all the money I had for the next week. I asked my companion if I could, but she said that we cannot give our money. It seriously broke my heart. That was just the start though..we turned the corner to get to our apartment and we saw five guys attack a man that was walking. It feels like it was a bad dream, but it was not. It happened right in front of us. They robbed him and then left him lying on the sidewalk passed out. I have never seen anything like it. We saw people walk by him without even stopping. It was like it did not even phase them. I could not believe it. I told my companion we had to go make sure he was ok. We went over and he was humming with his eyes rolled back. He was not concious. My companion said that she did not think we should be there and that we should leave. We went and got our security guy and he called the police. The police are not very good here though. I told my companion we have to do something. That could not just leave him lying there. She told me that we could not for our safety and it could not look like we were involved in anyway. The police did show up but not for like 30 minutes. I have no idea if he is ok and probably will never know. Both my companion and I returned to our apartment crying though because we felt so bad for this guy who was just walking down the street.

The Hospital is my second home

Emergency Room One of the Hermanas called us this week with really sharp abdominal pains. She said that she had never experience them before. I told her to come into Quito and if we could not make an appointment with the doctor we would go to the Emergency Room. It was my first time going to the emergency room this week. She has had stomach issues for a while and it is only in particular areas that she serves. We are still trying to figure out what is wrong. We have a had a lot of stomach issues in our mission especially out in the countryside. They are really poor out in the countryside and their water is really bad. We all have filtered water bottles, but most of the missionaries go to members houses to eat and we think that they are not washing the food with clean water or cooking the meat all the way so it is making the missionaries sick. It is a big problem. Lots of parasites and just a lot of digestive problems. We had one Hermana this week that called us at 4 in the morning saying that she was throwing up all night and that after she threw up she passed out. She hit her chin really bad and then also hit her head. She did not remember anything. I told her she needed to go to the ER because she probably would need stiches. She called us after she went and they had to put 6 stiches in. We also had a hermana that had surgery this week. I have really seen the Lord's hand when I have been taking care of the missionaires. He really really knows each one of them by name. What they are going through and what they need. I have seen his hand helping me find doctors to help treat, help find good doctors that can find the problem, and help me know what to say to help the missionaries. We also had a sprained ankle and an Elder is having some knee problems. I take most of the calls now. We usually put the Spanish calls on speaker because I need help with them since I am still learning Spanish especially medical Spanish. My companion has been really helpful. I LOVE being the nurse for the mission and have learned so much already!!

Three Children we are Teaching. I love them!

Tribulations "In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."--John 16:33 The best thing about being a missionary or living with every action or thought focused on Christ, is the way you feel. It is hard to have a negative attitude about things if and when your life is focused on Jesus Christ. There are still going to be problems because we all have them. We can find inner strength through trying to live as He did. We can find self esteem, peace of mind, contentment, and courage to cope. This week through the heartache, tragedies, and trauma that I have seen in people's lives, I have gained a testimony that through these tribulations we can find strength and hope to deal with these challenges when the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ are understood and applied. We had to teach our investigator, Juana, this week that she has to get married or separate from the guy that she is living with. She told us the trials she is facing and it will be a hard step for her. We promised her though that when we do what the Lord asks us, he will help us and he will keep his promises. I know that this is true. I know that the gospel can provide a life that her and her children deserve. I know that it will bring so much light and happiness in their life. She knows that the Book of Mormon is true. We did not get to see her this week except for yesterday because of all of our medical appointments and when we called her she asked where we have been. She said she missed us and that she has been reading the Book of Mormon and has been crying because she knows it is true. She is so great. They all came to church with us again this Sunday! I love when they come! Please pray for her and her kids. That they will be able to find a job and find a place to live. I have also gained so much gratitude for the trials that I have had in my life because our trials not only help us learn and grow, but they also help the people that we meet. I have seen the things that I have learned through my trials and hardships help my investigators and my companion. Always ask yourself when things are hard, what can I learn from this. So much can be learned through every hardship and you never know how much it can help or change someone else's life in the future.

Random Man on the Street with a Fish

We are all MISSIONARIES It's true. Everyone of us. No matter if you have a name tag or not. It is our responsibility as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to share the gospel. The Lord's words are true for the missionaries and for all of us. "And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me" (D&C 18:16). The missionaries cannot do it alone. At some moment in the world to come everyone you will ever meet will know what you know now. They will know that the only way to live forever in association with our families and in the presence of our Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ, was to choose to enter into the gate by baptism at the hands of those with authority from God. They will know that the only way families can be together forever is to accept and keep sacred covenants offered in the temples of God on this Earth. And they will know that you knew. It is easy to say "the time isn't right". Trust me, I know. I have made that mistake before my mission and on my mission. We need to stop saying that though and open our mouths because everyone deserves to have an opportunity to know and have the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives. I do not understand everyone when they talk because some people talk really really fast and not everyone understands me, but that has helped me to learn that it does not matter as much what we say, but how we make people feel. Love goes a long way. A single act of kindness will often be enough. Another really important concept I have learned is that everybody watches you and what you do when they know that you are a missionary or a member of the church in general. That it is so important that we be the best examples of the principles of the gospel. That we cannot teach others to do this or that, if we are not doing our best to follow those principles. Remember what the Savior said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. (Matt 5:16).

Carrot Cake in a Pan

GUESS WHAT Guess what you guys! I talked to President and he said that I can go look at all the hospitals in our mission!!! I am soo excited because that means I get to go to all the areas including the coast and the jungle in the next 8 weeks! We have to renew a contract in the coast which was when this all came up. I am really excited to be able to see all the facilities, areas, and meet all the doctors! I think it will help me know if I am ok with sending the missionaries there for certain things or if I need to bring them into Quito because the number one hospital in Ecuador is in Quito. It will also allow the doctors to know me and I think it will be easier to work together over the phone when needed!!! Making Carrot Cake in a Pan Since we do not have an oven we decided to experiment this week and make carrot cake in a pan! It worked and it was delicious!!! Answers to Questions I do not have a tapeworm or a parasite. The water is cleaner here in the city, but we are still really careful. I only drink filtered water and then always boil water when we are making hot cereal! Daily Schedule: 6:30- Wake up, Eat, Shower, Exercise 8:00- Companion Study 9:00- Personal Study 10:00- Companion Study 11:00-Spanish Study 12:00-We leave either for appointments or go to our sector. 9:00-We have to be back in the house. We plan right when we get back. Then eat dinner and then have some free time to write in our journal or do whatever. 10:30-Go to bed PDays we still study and then go shopping, clean, and then have a few hours to do whatever we want. We always write letters our last few hours of Pday. 3:30-5:30. Sundays we have church at 9:00 so we go to church from 9:00 to 12:00 and then usually go to a members house for lunch then go to our sector to teach. Then, we come back around 6 and do our studies. Time to be a regular missionary: Just depends on medical things. President told me that my main calling or responsibility is to take care of the missionaries. So if we have 5 contacts like this last week we only had an opportunity to contact when we were in the taxi to and from the hospital - not to worry because we have other responsibilities. By the way Nicole, nice work on getting 45 contacts!!!! Sometimes we have a lot of time in our area and other weeks we do not. I LOVE my companion!!! She is awesome! My district is like 10 people and my zone is probably 20. Just two districts put together. We have 8 missionaries in our ward because it is everyone from the office and then us plus two other missionaries. Our whole Sunday school class is pretty much missionaries. We also have President in our ward!!! I see him all the time and talk to him all the time which is a huge blessing! Our ward is pretty small and it was funny because President came up to me the first Sunday and said "Don't worry, everyone shows up throughout the 3 three hours, unfortunately". It is nothing like the wards in Utah, but I love the people and a lot of the members have really strong testimonies. The fruit is amazing down here!!! Especially the bananas! The weather reminds me of Utah. One day it will be hot and sunny. The next will be raining! Every Pday it rains and yes it looks like it going to rain, again! haha. We were teaching a guy and it just started to down pour on us. It was really really funny actually. (might be a...had to be there moment). I am really happy! I love being a missionary! I learn so much everyday and really feel like it is an opportunity to be down in Ecuador serving! The first week was hardest for me to adjust, but I am used to it and love it now! I am also healthy!!! :) I hope everyone is staying healthy! I love you guys with all of my heart and think of you often! Only a couple of months till I get to talk to you guys over skype!!! I am counting down the days! I had my birthday month two days ago! We celebrate months here! I have been out for 2 months!! Only 16 to go! Haha! I know it will fly by!!! Have a wonderful week! Talk to you soon Love always, Hermana Pemberton

#Letter9 #missionpics

Letter #8 - Week 2 in Ecuador - 3.2.2015

This week was a bit loco at our house because we had all the girls that were ending their mission stay with us and then all the new girls that were just arriving to Ecuador stay at our house until they found out their companions on Thursday! With 10 girls and two bathrooms, it was madness trying to get ready in the morning. It also made us really excited to clean the house today!!!

Newbies

That´s me. My group arrived this week. It was really fun to meet everyone! They were all at the Columbia CCM together. Majority of them are Latinos from South America. In a group of 20, there are only 5 of us from America. We had meetings on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. It made it kind of a long week, but it was fun to learn more about what we would be doing out in the field. They also served pizza and it was american pizza so it was yummy! My favorite part of the meetings were on Thursday when they announced the new companionships. They had all the newbies sit on one side of the room and then the trainers sit on the other side of the room. They would call up the trainers and then have people comment on what their strengths were as a person and missionary. Then, they would call the newbie up and they would hug! It was cute!! I obviously already knew who my companion would be, but I am really glad I got to experience it. One of the Elders was like twice the size of the other Elder so when he went up to hug him he just picked him up. I wish I got it on video.

Mission Home

My companions kept telling me that the mission home was this blue house in the poor part of our area. They were joking. I cannot believe that I actually believed them. I kept telling everyone that I knew where it was and what it looked like because my companions told me then we showed up to it for dinner and yaa....it was like a "is this real life moment"? It was a beautiful apartment that overlooked Quito. I did not bring my camera, but I will next time!! There were tables set up with candles and china! It was really nice! We had dinner first. Hermana Richardson cooked for us rice and chicken. Then, we had the best chocolate cake I think I have ever had. Oh and guess what, I LOVE ICE CREAM here! Haha for those who do not remember, I hated ice cream before I got down here. It is different here than in the states though. It is really soft and fluffly here. It is muy muy bueno! After dinner, we watched a slideshow of all the areas in the mission and they made up a song for our mission! Ecuador is really beautiful and has soo much culture here! We also had a chance to listen to everyones testimony! It was really awesome to hear everyone bear their testimony. All of the Latinos are converts to the church so we also were able to hear their stories of joining the church and how it has changed their lives. I think it was the only night that I have ever stayed up past 1030 on my mission!!!

My first BAPTISM (date)

We were in our area last week and we went to go visit a members house, but they were not home. Then, a little boy kept following us and so we asked him where he lived. He showed us where and then we asked if his mom was home. He went to go get her and we talked to her for a few minutes. She was really interestd in the gospel and she wanted to hear more so we set up another date to talk to her. Then, on Saturday we went to go teach her and she invited us in. It was so cute we sat in the grass and her three little kids sat there with us. I gave the kids a pamphlet to read a long. They were so good during the entire lesson and so interested in learning! The oldest daughter reminded me a lot of how Marti probably was when the missionaries were teaching her, grandma, and grandpa. The oldest daughter is 12 and she loves learning about the church. I gave her a Book of Mormon so she could have her own. When she was giving it back to me and I said it was for her, she was shocked. She was sooo happy. The first thing she did was write her name in and then she laid down and started reading it. They came to church with us on Sunday and the kids loved Primary. The mom loved the classes. She said she felt so much peace and comfort. She also said that she felt something different. We went visit her on Sunday after church and asked how she felt it was. She said that her daughter came home and said she liked this church more than any of the other ones. I have really fallen in love with them. They are really good people and do not have a lot. They have a lot of challenges as we all do. I know the gospel will bring so much happiness their lives and seeing them see it affect and change their lives already has been really special for me to see. in Their baptism date is on 3-21. It would be the mom and two of the kids are older than 8.

Side note

...On the bus, these two kids wanted me to teach them how to speak English. One of them asked how to say "how far is your house". He said it in Spanish and then I told them what it would be in English. Guess what he said...WOOO...That is mucho palabras. Aka...that is a lot of words. The kids are so cute here! They always make me smile. That was the second time they wanted me to teach English.

Patience

"Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our feats. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something...even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring, it is enduring well. "--President Dieter F. Uchdorf

I have a love/hate relationship with this attribute and quality. I have really learned the importance of it though while being out in the mission for example with learning Spanish and so many other things. I thought I was a pretty patient person before I got here too, but that is what I love about patience...we can always be more patient. I love the quote above because we are not supposed to just endure our trials, but endure them well. That means with a good attitude. That means that even through difficult times we need to do our best and make a difference. That means never quiting even when it seems like there will never be a sunny day. I have seen hard days and good days on my mission. I know that good days always outweigh the bad. There have been times when I just want to go back to the United States, but then I remember how much this experience has given me. It truly is an opportunity to be here. I know that life was not meant to be easy. It was meant to be uphill and require us to apply Christlike attributes. We can only reach our potential by going through those difficult times. Attitude is everything as well as faith. God knows our potential and he knows what we need to reach it. My prayer is that we will all have a little more faith on the hard days and "endure them WELL". I promise that if we do that we will be so grateful we did and we will learn more and grow more than we ever thought possible.

I love being a missionary. I love the opportunity to be a representive of Jesus Christ. I love serving the people here and seeing how I can help them even if it just a simple smile or hand shake. I also have seen how much they can teach me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Mom, Kendra, and Phil!!! Wish I could have been there to celebrate! I hope you guys had a wonderful day!!!

I love you guys and miss you tons!!! Have a wonderful week and stay safe!!!

Love always,

Hermana Pemberton

#letter8 #missionpics

Our Last Picture At The CCM - Never To Be Forgotten

#missionpics

Letter#7 - Change is Hard But It's How We Grow - 2.23.2015

Goodbye CCM, Hello Ecuador

My last week in the CCM was a blast other than packing! haha. Oh and saying goodbye to the people that I came to love the last 6 weeks. We still had class and worked hard, but also found time to have fun. We all got a lot of treats for Valentine´s day so we had our own little party. We also celebrated one of the Elders birthday. Thank you mom and dad for sending me the treats! They were such a fun surprise! They were yummy! We all bore our testimonies and it was great to hear how the Gospel and the last 6 weeks had a huge impact on everyone. The CCM is truly a blessing to all the missionaries. I will forever have a place in my heart for the CCM and the experiences that I had there, and the people I met. I left Monday night and went to reception ot take a van to the airport. I cried a lot saying goodbye to my zone hermanas, the elders, and my teachers. I was pretty drained by the time I got to the airport plus it was past my bedtime. haha. I am an old granny now if I do not go to bed at 10:30 I am exhausted. I went solo on the van to the airport and I was so nervous for what was next. I did not say one word the whole way there. I was mainly nervous for flying solo to Ecuador. Eeeek. (It really was not that bad, I think I over reacted a little bit.)

First Contact

After I went through security, I had to wait at the gait for awhile. A lady sat next to me and I had a really strong impression to talk to her. I was a little nervous because my Spanish is not that great, BUT I remembered the Gift of Tongues and that if I just open my mouth, then the words would be given to me. A couple of weeks into the CCM I had a dream that I converted the whole plane down to Ecuador so I bought a few copies of the Book of Mormon at the CCM before I left. I did not really think I would teach the whole plane, but I thought I better be prepared. I am SOOO glad that I did. ALWAYS be prepared. That is one thing that I have learned while on my mission. There was a seat between us so I mustered up enough courage to scoot over one and then I knew I would have to start talking or it would just be awkward and kind of creepy. I asked her some questions about where she was going and why she was in Mexico. Then, I told her why I was going to Ecuador and asked her if she had heard about the church. She said she had, but did not know much about it. I asked her if she knew about the Book of Mormon and she did not know much about it either. I taught her about the Book of Mormon and gave her a copy. She said that she wanted to know more about the church when she got down to Quito and I was able to get her contact information. I did not see her again and I am not sure if the missionaries were able to visit her because I gave her contact information to the secretary who handles all the references. I know that I was supposed to talk to her for some reason and it really was a testimony builder that sometimes we only have once chance to talk to someone because I never saw her again after that. When you have a chance, take it. The Flight My flight left at 1:30am and I flew to Columbia. It was about a 4 hour and 45 minute flight. It was empty and I had my whole row to myself! Whoop, whoop! I hit the jackpot! Thank you to whoever picked my seat! I slept the entire way which I am so glad that I was able to because I did not sleep very much the next day when I got here. The flight attendants were all Latinos, but they wore the same outfits as we do in the US. Nothing fancy like the flight attendants when we went to Europe. I did get a meal, but I have no idea what it was. It kind of looked like baby food. It tasted like eggs and beans. Not a huge fan. The candy that mom and dad sent me mostly kept me going. So, thank you again for sending that to me at the CCM. I had about a 2 hour layover in Columbia before the flight left for Quito. The airport in Columbia was sooo nice! I was shocked because of the things I had heard already about Columbia! It had a mall inside. I really do not know why I was so worried about flying alone. I got to Ecuador around 9ish and ALL MY LUGGAGE made it! It is the little things that can bring happiness! The zone leader and secretary picked me up. The President was supposed to, but he was out of town so he was not able to. I walked right past them even though he had a big welcome sign. I was a zombie and so exhausted. They thought it was hilarious. We took a taxi to the mission office which took about 2 hours, but it went really fast because Ecuador is beautiful. I was in complete awe the entire ride.

First Impressions of Ecuador It is BEAUTIFUL here and Dad would LOVE IT here! Those were my first two thoughts. Haha. It is really green with lots of trees and there are lots of mountains out in the countryside. Quito is surrounded by mountains which have colorful houses on them. It looks a lot like the CCM did, but it surrounds all of Quito. I was really surprised how nice Quito is. It is still pretty poor, but I was not expecting it to be as developed as it is. I have seen a McDonalds, a KFC, and a Pizza Hut. Everything is really cheap here compared to the US. They do use US dollars. Taxi rides are about 1.50-2.50. Bus rides are 25 cents. Cereal at the store is 2 dollars. All of the American brands are outrageous though. We have a really rich part of Quito in our area and then right next to it is dirt poor. There are a lot of kids that will ride the buses and sell candy without their parents. There are also a lot of people who sell stuff on the streets. My Companion(s) I came a week before transfers happened and I am not sure why, but because of that, I had 2 companions this last week. One of them (who will be training me) was filling in for the nurse who left last transfer. She is not a nurse so she was pretty excited to see me. Both of them are from the United States, but they are both fluent in Spanish. I asked them to speak as much as possible around me even if I do not understand that much. It has been really nice to have someone who speaks fluently but also can translate and answer my questions in English if I have them. They have been really helpful this last week and so incredibly patient. I love them! They both have been here for over a year. My companion for these next 6 weeks is Hermana Hancey. She is from Wyoming. Deer in Headlights This is exactly what I have felt like this last week...completely lost. It is a new schedule, new rules, new expectations, a new language, and new city. My companions said that it is hard because I came in a week early whereas usually you have 3 days of orientation that answers a lot of questions. I am supposed to have a meeting this week which hopefully will help me feel a little less lost. My schedule is a little different because of the nursing responsibility which I am learning too. Change is hard because we get comfortable and then when change happens we go through it again, but it is at these times we really grow and learn. When we learn things about ourselves that we would have never learned if we did not step out of our comfort zone. It is when our relationship with our Father in Heaven and his son Jesus Christ. Although, this has been a rough week with lots of change, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow in ways that would not have been possible elsewhere. I am grateful for the opportunity to be uncomfortable for a little while. Where I Live and What We Eat

I live downtown in the middle of the city. I will stay here because it is close to the hospital and close to the office. It has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It is really nice. There are 5 bunk beds. It is also the "hotel" for the hermanas when they have to come into Quito for meetings or they are leaving. There is a lot of closet space. IT is really nice compared to a lot of the other apartments in other areas. We do not have a ward member that cooks for us because she is having some issues in her family so we just cook for ourselves. We have not eaten out a lot because we are poor and only have so much money every week. So, I have no idea what they really eat here. We ate at one member's house this last Sunday and had chicken, salad, and french fries. Most of the food is really bland here. Wanna know something funny? They put everything in bags like yogurt. Everything. And they do not refrigerate their eggs or milk! I have not gotten sick yet though! They eat a ton of rice here too. Everyone says that I will never want to eat rice again after this.

Random Things about Ecuador

We greet everyone by kissing them on the check. People wear see through clothes here. They always try to rip us off because we are not from here. Pick pocketing is really bad here. Have not gotten robbed yet though. People are really nice. Lots and lots of hills here. We get around mostly by taxi, bus, and lots of walking. We are not allowed to drink water unless it is filtered because everyone gets parasites here. The nursing part of the mission is really busy. The hospital here is really nice. We take the missionaries to appointments and talk with the doctors. I am always on call for missionaries. I went in with two of the missionaries this week by myself even though I am still learning Spanish. I really love it. One missionary had an allergic reaction and had to get an epi pen. There are a lot of random stomach issues here mainly because of the food I think. I really love helping the missionaries and being there to help them feel better! The Mission President told me that my main responsibility is being a nurse so if I do not have a lot of contacts or investigators then it is okay and that I should not feel bad. I was able to contact some this week too though and I loved that. There is nothing better than testifying of Jesus Christ. Many people are really willing to listen to us when we talk to them on the bus or at the park. My Spanish is horrible, but my companions both said that the they can still get the message and the Spirit is really strong when I testify. Always, the best news ever.

Desires of Our Hearts

This week I have felt completely inadequate to be in Ecuador teaching the gospel in Spanish and help people with medical issues in Spanish. Like when I got to the hospital and I am not able to understand what the doctors say. It is hard for me because I want to help the people so badly, but there is a huge language barrier. I have learned though that our desires of our hearts are what matters most. That when we have done ALL that we can, our desires will carry us the rest of the way. That if our desires are right we can be forgiven for the mistakes that will inevitably make as we try to carry those desires into effect. Knowing this can help any feelings we might have of inadequacy. If we are doing the things that we are supposed to be doing. HE will help us accomplish the tasks he has put before us. The key ingredient is FAITH. I love you guys a ton and miss you a ton. I think about you every day. You guys keep me going on my hard days. Thank you for your notes, emails, encouraging words, and love. Thank you for always being there for me. I am one lucky girl to have you in my life. The power went out today while I was emailing so I did not get all my time, but I have two hours to write every week which makes me so happy! Talk to you next week! Have a great week and be safe!!!! Love always, Hermana Pemberton

#letter7 #missionpics

Goodbye to my good friends who are going to Honduras. I am going solo to Ecuador.

#missionpics #letter6

Letter#6 - Moving to Ecuador - 2.11.2015

Hola everyone!!! Well guys, this is my last and final time that I will be talking to you from Mexico City. Next time I talk to you I will (hopefully) be in Ecuador as long as everything works out! Yes, that is right. I am moving to Ecuador next week. Can you believe it? I am really excited! A little nervous because I will be flying down there alone, but I am excited to get down there!!! Wish me luck! This week has been another amazing week. I love it here and will miss the CCM so much. I have learned so much about myself, about the gospel, about a new language and so much more while I have been here. It has been an incredible experience. Open Your Mouth I learned a very valuable lesson this week and that was whenever you have an opportunity to testify of the Savior, take it. I have had instances in my life where I have been scared or worried to stand up and testify. Maybe I will forget what I am going to say when I get up there, maybe I will not be able to say it in Spanish, what if this or what if that. Last time that I had an opportunity to testify I did not stand up and I felt so awful afterwards. I promised myself that I would never do it again. Well, guess what this week I did again. We were doing a demonstrating teaching activity and our teacher asked for a couple of volunteers that would join in on the lesson and testify. It was not a real situation, but just practice. The Elder next to me kept saying Pemberton, Pemberton, but I just sat there while everyone else sat there. No one spoke up even though I know that every person in that room had a testimony of the Savior, the Atonement, and the Plan of Salvation because I have heard it. I felt awful, NEVER should there ever be a moment that goes by in silence when there is an opportunity to testify. I should have jumped up, begged, fought to be in that chair to testify of WHAT the Savior did for me, my family, and for everyone. I am not perfect. I make mistakes. I have weaknesses. HE is the one who makes those weaknesses strong, that gives me a second chance, and suffered for me even though he did not have to. He helps me when I do not deserve it. HE made it possible for me to return to live with the people I LOVE most once again. I love my Savior so incredibly much and it kills me that I did not fight for an opportunity to not only share my gratitude for everything that he has given me, but also that He lives and I have felt his love for me and for other people. My prayer is that I will never forget how I felt after this situation and that when we have an opportunity to share how we feel about the Savior that we stand up proudly. We all make mistakes and will continue to make mistakes because we are not perfect. The Savior knows that and that is why he so willingly did what he did for us. It is ONLY through him that we can find TRUE and LASTING happiness. I know He lives and loves each and everyone of you, probably more than you can comprehend.

Never Give Up During the time that I have been at the CCM I have learned soooooooooo much, but what I have learned is much more than learning a second language or learning how to teach...the most important thing I learned here was developing Christlike Attributes. Patience is often referred to as the "gateway" attribute. The Savior exemplifies PERFECT patience. It is difficult to wait and have patience for the blessings that come from obedience especially when now a days so many things are given to us instantly. We need to be patient though and have faith that when we do the things we are supposed to be doing, God is bound to His promises. Do not ever ever EVER give up, even if you do not see the fruit of your labors. Press forward, keep working, and be diligent. Our Heavenly Father will keep His promises. I testify of that. "Life is full of difficulties, some minor and others of as more serious nature.There seems to be an unending supply of challenges for one and all. Our problem is that we often expect instantaneous solutions to such challenges, forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue of patience is required."----President Monson Patience means staying with something until the end. It is a godly attribute that can heal souls, unlock treasures of knowledge, and understanding and transform ordinary men and women. It means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means delaying immediate gratification for future blessings.It means holding back an unkind word. I have learned while I have been in the CCM that patience can and will better our character, lift our lives, and heighten our happiness if we practice it in our lives. My challenge for you guys this week is to evaluate and ponder how you can improve on being better at being patient. That when you feel like saying an unkind word, instead you will serve them. That when you have not received an answer to your prayer yet, you will trust in the Lord and his timing. That we will always remember the Lord is patient with us, so we should be patient in all things and patient with each other because we are all imperfect. We all make mistakes, but everyone wants to be given the benefit of the doubt. Never give up on anyone and that includes not giving up on yourself!!!

Moving to Ecuador I leave for Ecuador on Monday at 2230. I will be flying through Columbia and then onto Ecuador. I will get there around 1030. I am not sure if I will be able to email so it might be a couple of weeks till you hear from me, but do not worry...I will tell you everything. I am sad to be leaving so many great people behind and this beautiful place, but I am excited to start serving people in Ecuador! I will be flying solo down there, so it will put what I have learned as far as Spanish to the test!

Experience at the CCM There are 3 things that I pray for consistently since I have been on a mission. 1) How thankful I am for the Savior and what he did for me 2) My family 3) How grateful I am for the opportunity to serve a mission. My CCM experience has been a roller coaster yet one of the best experiences that I have ever had. I have gone from being so frustrated about the language at the beginning to seeing the miracle of learning a second language. I have seen the miracle of the Gift of Tongues. I have cried several times. Sometimes from missing my family, frustration over the language, and feeling inadequate to crying because I am laughing so hard. I have days where I have wondered what in the world I was thinking when I decided to get on the plane and then days where I feel like the luckiest girl on the planet. What I learned is we are always going to have bad days and good days, but the good days ALWAYS outweigh the bad. That through the bad days we grow and learn. That sometimes we just need to "keep on swimming" because it cannot rain forever. I will honestly miss this beautiful place. So many things have happened here that I will always remember and cherish. I will miss the beautiful weather. I will miss seeing all the amazing people that work here and talking with them. They are always so happy and friendly. They are so patient with all of us Americans as we try to speak Spanish. I will miss the Elders at meal times saying HERMANAS and then letting us get food first even though there is really long line. I really have felt like a princess here at the CCM because of how the guys treat us. They carry our chairs, they let us eat first, and always open the doors for us. I will miss having the time to study and learn as much as I have at the CCM. I know that sounds weird, but seriously when else in our lives do we have this much time to truly dedicate to learning about the Gospel and learning a second language. Life is busy and that is just how it is. I am grateful for the 12 hour days of classes and study time. I will miss all of the amazing people that I have met especially my district, my teachers, and the Hermanas in my zone. I really feel very lucky to have been able to get so close with a lot of the people here. They truly are amazing people. I will miss the teachers here. I have to say one of my favorite things about the CCM are the teachers. I honestly feel like I got the best teachers here. All three of them have made such an impact on my life. They have taught me so much and have made my experience here incredible and fun! I am grateful for their willingness to put so much time and effort into teaching us. I will miss Sundays and pizza Tuesdays. Sundays are always a happy happy day and a day where the Spirit is so strong. All day Sunday is inspiring, uplifting, and amazing in every way from the moment you wake up to the time you go to bed. I will miss the devotionals we have here and the inspiring words that we always get each week, twice a week! I am probably missing more, but you get the point. I will miss it! I truly feel very lucky to have come here! I love you guys! Be safe! Have a wonderful week! Kendra and I are both moving this week to a new place, it is going to be a big week! Mom and Cakes have a wonderful time in Hawaii!!! Nicole, we will be close next week! Whoop, Whoop! Dad, Connor, Phil, Whitney,Kate, Luke, Ellie and Boston....I love you guys!! Until next time, Hermana Pemberton

#letter6 #missionpics

Quito, Ecuador

#missionpics

Dressed Up Hermanas At The CCM and Futbol! Happy Day!

#missionpics #letter5

Letter #5 - Engine - 2.4.2015

Do Not Let Your Attachment To The Past Outweigh Your Confidence In The Future

Hello, hello!!! Another week has passed and now it is Feb! Can you believe it? Time flies...when you are having fun! Heard about the Superbowl and that the Patriots won. Booo! Honestly, I would not have been happy if either team won. I heard it was a good game though which is good since last year that was not the case. My teachers practically acted the end of it out for us! It was fun! I sure do miss watching sports! Hopefully, you all had a wonderful week! Time is flying here and I only have two weeks left until I leave for Ecuador! Crazy! Next week will be my last PDay and my last of everything at the CCM. We take our goodbye pictures on Monday. They do a cool slideshow for everyone that is leaving after we watch a movie on Sundays. Wondering how I feel about it...well a little bit of everything, but mostly excited for the adventure that awaits. As usual, I have learned about a years worth of material in a week. Even after 4 weeks of being here, I am surpirsed by how much we learn and do everyday. Before I came out here, I thought that serving was the least I could do for someone who sacrificed so much for me, but now after being here I know that my mission is YET another generous blessing from him. I will always be in debt to Jesus Christ, our Savior. I saw so many blessings of my mission before I got on that plane to Mexico City and everyday I see so many more blessings!

This is a picture of us drawn for our District on the whiteboard

Be Like the Engine that said I THINK I CAN

I think we know the story about the little engine that said I THINK I CAN and I think we can all apply it to our lives in some way or another whether it is in school, a job, family issues, or a relationship. Whatever life throws at us we need to have the attitude I THINK I CAN. and continue on. We can do amazing things with what we are given and experiences in our lives. For example, I was told about a little boy who is named Nathan Glad. He was born with a brittle bone disease. Doctors said that he would not survive birth. He did. He was born with 27 broken bones. He is now 8 years old, but he is confined to a wheelchair because his bones are so fragile. They do not know how long he will live. One day his parents said that he asked if he could pray. So, he said the prayer and guess what was the first thing he said...THANK YOU FOR MY BODY. Every morning he says...Today is going to be a great day. Hopefully, his story inspired you as much as it inspired me. Attitude determines our altitude. It determines our success. It determines what we learn. It determines how bad or good our experiences are. It determines who we are and will become. Lets all strive to have better attitudes NO MATTER what life throws at us, no matter how much we hate something and I think we will be surprised how much differenct life is when we have positive thoughts!

Solo Espanol

Find satisfaction in your progress while acknowledging that perfection may still be distant. This past Sunday we had an amazing devotional by the director here at the CCM. He is young and served his mission in Chile Concepcion. He was a wonderful public speaker. He reminded me of Nicole. He was incredibly enthusastic and motivating. He started out saying that he hears a lot of English here on campus then asked us what does speak your language mean. Then, he asked why is it so hard to speak your language. Different missionaries threw out different answers like we cannot be ourselves, we speak really slow, it takes too long, it takes too much concentration, and we only know church words in Spanish. Then, he discussed how we qualify for the gift of tongues. One thing that really stuck out to me was that we need to do EVERYTHING we can before we ask for help from the Lord. That the Lord expects us to do our part before he helps us. What great advice. Are you doing everything that you can do. Think about it. As a district, it really got to us. We are learning Spanish, but we speak English at lunch and gym. We could do better. That night was really spiritual for us because one of the Elders spoke up and said that he had never seen a miracle, but believed that we could make a miracle happen if we spoke solo espanol and worked really hard these last two weeks. That before we go to Ecuador or Honduras we could speak really good Spanish if we give everything we have into it and ask the Lord for help. That night we all commited to do it. We all bore our testimonies. We all knew it was going to be hard, but we know it will come eventually. We have been doing really well. There has been a couple of times that we have slipped especially today since it is PDay, but we are trying and working harder than ever.

Futbol...the real kind

Yes, I said it! I found some Hermanas that wanted to play! HAPPY DAY! It was so much fun! We played for like an hour and half! We are going to play during gym time everyday now! Hip hip horray! I sure have missed soccer a ton and playing with all of our South American friends!

Nursing Business

I got trained on what I am doing in Ecuador by the nurse this morning! It made me really excited. She showed me where I will be charting if there are problems, what I will be doing, and the website I will be using. I need to get my username from the nurse in Salt Lake City and I will be able to look more at the website tomorrow. She said I will find out a lot more information when I get to Ecuador because every mission president has you do different things. She gave me a bunch of medical spanish words and phrases to start studying. She said I will have a phone. She said that I might be helping the people in Ecuador but it just depends because I am not licensed down there. She also said I could be talking in zone conferences to educate the missionaries. If you guys have more questions...let me know! Not a whole else has happened this week other than studying and continuing to learn Spanish! The teachers are really creative here so they have a lot of fun games that we play to help us learn! Like we played scattegories, but with spanish grammer like we had to make a word with por or para. We had to think of an animal. We had to form a sentence with ser and estar. We are continuing to teach, but we are teaching each other these last two weeks. So, we are both the teachers and the investigators. We make up profiles of friends or family that we know really well that are not members then they have to help us. I really like being the investigator because it helps me be a better teacher. I have learned a lot about how to teach with someone else. It is hard and really is a learned skill. I am really grateful that I am learning how to teach better! FYI...The keyboards are weird down here so sorry about the puncuation. Love you guys! Have a great week and be safe! Love always, Hermana Pemberton

#letter5 #missionpics

The Mexico City Temple is undergoing renovation and so we weren't able to go inside. However, we did go to the Visitor's Center.

#letter4 #missionpics #ccm

Letter #4 - Too Blessed To Be Stressed... - 1.28.2015

Well, at the CCM.

Only three more weeks until I get on a plane headed towards Ecuador. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? Time has seriously gone by so fast. It just hit me yesterday how fast it is going to come! I am going to miss it here, but I am really excited. A little nervous about my Spanish being ready, but I guess that is how we learn best is when we are thrown into it. Right?

Temple

Today was temple day. The Mexico City temple is still under renovation so we were not able to go into it, BUT we were able to go see it and see the visitors center. It is beautiful. I sent pictures so all of you guys could see! Last week were were supposed to go, but could not because my companion was sick. The President told us that we were probably not going to be able to go because there was not any room on the bus. We were sad. I wanted to talk to him again and so we talked to him again to see if we could go. He said just show up this morning and if there was room then we could go. Guess what, THERE WERE TWO seats!!! We got sooo lucky and I feel so blessed to have been able to go because it was a great experience.

I got to see a lot of Mexico City on the way to the Mexico Temple because it was about a hour away from the CCM. It made me sad to see some of the parts of Mexico City and where some people lived. I wish I could change some of the conditions and just help every single one of them.

It was a week full of cough drops and cough medicine

I guess it was my time to get sick. I got sick after I wrote you guys last time. It gradually got worse as the week went on and then on Saturday I had to go home early because I was so miserable. I got a blessing Saturday morning that was beautiful and truly inspired. I went to bed at six and slept all night. I built a little fort around my bunk bed so that my companion could study. It was kind of fun. I was sooo bummed to have to miss class. Guys, if you are wondering how much I love being a missionary here is something to give you and idea. I cried when I had to home because I do not want to be sick any part of mission. I know I am a cry baby. But seriously, I did not want to be sick or miss out on anything! Priesthood blessings work miracles. The next day, I was still sick, but felt a thousand times better. It truly was a miracle. Then, by Monday I was completely better! Ready to hit the ground running! Whoop whoop. I am so grateful for the Priesthood.

Gift of Tongues

I am sure many of you are wondering, HOW IS YOUR SPANISH? Well, I my Spanish is still not that great. Yes, I am learning a ton and it is crazy to think where I was when I got here and then where I am now, but it has been hard work. I am no where close to being fluent, BUT the gift of tongues is REAL. I was writing my lessons down word for word and then just reading it. I have been trying to just use what I know this week and half...it is amazing how the Spirit guides and helps put words in your mind so you know what to say. I am able to express myself and know how to say words that I had forgotten I even learned. Sometimes I wonder if I even learned it. It is a miracle and I know that if we do our part, then Heavenly Father helps us take care of the rest.

Devotional from one of the Seventy

We always have devotional on Sundays and Tuesdays. This Tuesday we had one of the Seventy come talk to us. He was going to do it in Spanish, but then last minute decided to do it in English because he wanted to practice his English in case he had to talk in conference again. It was really good. His wife spoke first and talked about Christlike attributes. That obedience brings blessings, about working hard and diligence, and then humility. She said it does not matter what our job is or how much money we have, if we are famous or if we not. What matters is we are ALL daughters and sons of God. She encouraged us to work as hard as we can for the next 18 to 24 months and if we do that she promised that it would change our lives. That if we tried our best at the language that we would be fluent by the end of our missions. Then, when Elder Venzuela spoke he talked about "Keeping the end in mind". What he meant by that was that we cannot just leave the people that we teach the gospel after they join the church, but we have help them after. We should stay in contact with them forever because they are going to be such a big part of our lives. That we should help prepare them for the "end" which is going through the temple and getting their endowment and being sealed to their families forever. It was really good and motivating talk.

Count Your Many Blessings

I love my teachers. They are so inspirational. This past week my night teacher had an activity for us. We first watched a movie about the Atonement. Then, he asked us to write down all of our big blessings that we have had in our life. Afterwards, he said come with me. He took us outside then told us to find a place and pray about our blessings. Thank our Heavenly Father for all the blessings that we have. I encourage all of you to do it. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are so incredibly loving and generous. I cried the entire time because I have been so blessed. I really felt like because I have been so blessed in my life, that these next 18 months were my chance to help others that were not born in the Gospel to have a chance to partake of the miracles that it provides. That there were a lot of people that were waiting for me in Ecuador who need and want the Gospel in their lives, but do not know where to find it.

We are blessed. Even though we go through trials. Our trials are actually a gift because we can learn so much from them. Remember your blessings. Count your blessings. If you are having a bad day, write down your blessings.

Polaroid Camera

I love it. Everyone loves it. It is so funny and embarrassing to take out because it is HUGE, but it seriously makes me soo happy watching them develop. I am like a little kid on Christmas when it pops the picture out and then I wait for it to develop. I am so happy that I brought it!

I love you guys. Thank you for your letters. Thank you for being in my life and being such a great example to me ALWAYS. I know that this gospel is TRUE with all of my heart and soul. I would not have given up a great job, sold my car, left the people I love most if I did not know it was true. I know that Jesus Christ died for all of us so that our trials can be made lighter and that we can be forgiven for our sins. That because of him I can be with my family forever and ever. I know that we can turn to him when we are having a bad day and He understands. He loves each and everyone of you. I know that as we remember what he did for us, we will be better people in our actions and our thoughts.

HAWAII

I just have to give a shout out to my sister who got a job in Hawaii and will be moving there shortly! She has been so diligent to try to find a job that she would like and that she could use her degree. She is such an example to me and how she kept smiling even when she heard bad news or times were difficult. She has built my testimony of how ATTITUDE is everything. That if we have faith, all things are possible. That Heavenly Father answers our prayers ALWAYS. Even if we do not believe it, he always does. I know, I have said that a lot these past few months, but it is true. If you do not know it, then get on your knees and find out for self. Remember though you must pray with real intent which means whatever the answer, you are going to act on.

I love you guys and cannot wait to see you guys once again in just 17 months! Have a wonderful week. Keep smiling. Serve others. Be safe!

Love always,

Hermana Pemberton

#letter4 #ccm

Mexico City Temple and Mi Hermanas

#letter4 #missionpics

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Ecuador Quito North