Hermana Beutler in Ecuador: Week Forty-Three: "There's really no such thing as a small miracle in life."

Hola mi familia!

Our maduro phones - there they are . . .

We went to go take a picture and then I freaked out because my companion didn´t have her maduro telephone! She´s always laughing at me hahaha!

Joining in on the fun

A smile made from maduro

So when I was a little girl, every once in a while around 4 or 5PM I would wait by the window patiently until my dad got home from work. Sometimes I would get so excited that I would wait on the front lawn. My patience would usually last about five or ten minutes and then I would give up, heading back inside. More often than not, that's exactly when he would pull up in the driveway, when I was least expecting it. It was one of my favorites parts of my day.

As I've thought and reflected on the miracles that I've seen in the past week and really in my entire mission I've realized that many miracles come in life in the same way that my dad would come home from work in the evenings-when I least expect it and when I feel like I'm just about to give up. What I've learned in this past week is that if we give it our all and get to work to serve the Lord before all else, that EVERYTHING will be taken care of. That's when the miracles show up! When we lose ourselves in the work. There's really no such thing as a small miracle in life. Every miracle of every day is a manifestation of God's love for His children. I know miracles happen! I know God loves us!

We met the sweetest less active in the church on Thursday. Wow. What miracles she has seen in her life. I'll share the brief story of Emma. So Emma has moved around a lot in the past little bit. Sadly she has been in an abusive relationship and has had a problem with someone following her who abused her years ago. She didn't know what to do. On Thursday while waiting for the bus she saw the Elders pass by. She was baptized with her family when she was 9 and so she knew that if she could find out where the church was that she could find refuge and help. She followed the Elders and found the church. She entered and that's where she found us (which was another miracle because we're usually not there Thursday nights but we were there with some investigators in a Relief Society Activity) and she asked to speak to us. She told us her story and we spoke to the Relief Society president. On Sunday she came to church and then was able to speak with the bishop and receive a blessing.

The Autosuficiencia representative was able to speak with her to help her with where she left off in her other ward so she can keep working to get a job. The relief society president felt that we should pass by her house with a priesthood holder and so we spoke with the high priest group leader and the four of us went to visit her in her home where she has fifteen days thanks to a friend who is helping her out until he rents the room. The president brought her food and the high priest group leader just happened to see an ad for a nurses position in a farmacy that morning. SO MANY BLESSINGS AND MIRACLES. She just began to cry and thank them for what they had done. It truly wasn't anything that they had done but we truly saw the Lord's hand blessing her life for striving to change and be where she needed to be again. The president shared that when she first got here to Quito from Guayaquil she had nothing, she was starting from zero, and that the members did the same for her to help her out, and that this was her way to strive to give back. It was such a special moment. We all have been given something to be able to start over or get back on our feet. The question is, what are we going to do to give back!

I feel so blessed to be here on the mission, serving the Lord full time. There's no place I'd rather be than here in Ecuador! Despite the challenges, tests, and life changers that come our way, the miracles STILL come. Our job as children of God is to get to work and serve Him. And when we least expect it the miracles will come pouring down.

Funny moment of the week...so we had interviews with President in our house this week and the assistents came to and when they walked in the first thing they said was "it smells like clean!" hahaha. Mission accomplished on our part.
I love all of you SO much! Thank you for all of your prayers and support during this time!

Con todo mi amor,
Hermana Beutler