Hermana Beutler in Ecuador: Week Five

Hola everyone,

Wow, I can't believe I'm leaving my Colombian home in just a few short days. It feels like I've been here for an eternity but at the same time it has flown by. I'm going to miss so much about being here in the CCM. I won't miss the food because the portions are way too big but I will miss the chefs. They are hilarious. They really like the Nortes. I think they think they don't feed us enough, cause one of them brings us oreos during personal study every once in a while. The same chef today told me that he was really confused cause "You eat all the food but you didn't get fat!!!.......Not sure how I'm supposed to take that. I guess its a compliment. But it makes sense because I play volleyball everyday...which is another thing I'm going to really miss. Presidente Gallego (the manager of the CCM) is great at volleyball and I always get a really good workout in when we play. I'm also going to miss the temple.

Today was our last trip. I probably won't get to go to the Guayaquil temple since its too far. But we'll see. I'll also really miss all of the maestros (teachers) and Presidente and Hermana Duvall. They are all so amazing and have helped me progress so much. Presidente has told me a few times now that I speak really well, as if I've been here for 2-3 months. Those were his exact words. Which makes me really nervous because he also told me yesterday that he spoke to my mission president about me...and my mission president is really looking forward to having me. I hope he doesn't expect me to show up speaking fluent to the mission....Cause I sound like a child when I talk. Haha. But I really appreciate the encouragement and compliment because some days the spanish feels like russian and I all I have to do is remember his words and keep pushing forward. And those are the times when I love the spanish. Well, I always love the spanish, its just that sometimes we're friends and other times we're best friends. I prefer being best friends with the language.

Yesterday was somewhat of a difficult day. One of our Latina Hermanas went home out of nowhere. One second we were in our room talking and laughing with the other Hermanas, we went to our devotional about preparing for the mission field, and then when it was over she was gone. She is the only active member in her family and she was SO excited for the work. She was one of the most friendly hermanas I've ever met, and it breaks my heart that she's back in Chile. My only guess is that there was a family emergency. Her companion didn't even know she was leaving until she was gone.Every two weeks here we've lost one missionary for health/family emergencies. Please not only keep the missionaries serving in your prayers but also those who have to go home against their own wishes. It's so hard to hear about people going home, because here on the mission you can't imagine doing anything else. I didn't even get her email or anything so I can't get ahold of her. I'm still quite in shock about it. These people become your family in such a short amount of time. This particular Hermana picked me up when I was having a really hard time. She is one of my angels.
During the same hard time that I was having, I was praying and praying to receive some comfort about something I was going through and I was in the bathroom when I heard one of the Hermanas in my district humming a song. The song where it goes...here comes the sun...here comes the sun...and its alright...
I just about started crying right then and there. It was an answer to my prayers and a reminder that the Son (our Savior Jesus Christ) is always here and its going to be alright. What makes it even crazier was the fact that I got the opportunity to share this experience with her when we were in class and had to share our testimonies (in spanish) about receiving revelation through prayer and she started crying. She told me after I finished that she felt prompted to sing that song and to keep singing it when she saw me because she felt that I needed it. That specific song. She didn't think much of it until I shared my testimony with her.

Prayer is real. God is real. He loves us so much. And he will answer our prayers through feelings in our hearts, scriptures, or through the angels around us like my hermana in my district. This just also goes to show how important it is to follow a prompting, no matter what it is and no matter whether or not you see the result of it. It's so important. You don't know who you can help.
These six weeks haven't been easy, but I'm a much better missionary because of it, and I'm really going to miss my home here in Bogota. I've made some really great friends here. And there's only two elders that I know of going to my mission. Which is really really sad. Also, my teacher Hermana Cuellar just told me to tell my family that I've made some new Colombian friends. I'm really going to miss her. Ahhhhh. So sad. But time to go the mission field and get to work!

I'm so lucky to be a missionary! I love this work and I love all of you!

Hermana B

P.S. Ponderizing scripture of the week is Moroni 7:47. Keep reading and ponderizing! The scriptures can be your best friend! You just gotta take the time to read them!