Little Miracles!

Hey family!! 

I hope that you all are doing really well and that you have all had a great week.. How are your vacations going?? How was Father´s Day? Things here were pretty normal... For father's day everyone got drunk and danced and that was about it.  So that is cool I guess.  Dad I hope that you had a great day yesterday...You were thought of here in Ecuador, Jaramijo.

Things here are going really really well.  I am really happy here with my companion.  She is great and never ever complains.  So I love that about her.  We are teaching a really great family and their kids are going to be baptized this coming Saturday and it is a miracle that these kids are getting baptized.  The reason that the whole family is not getting baptized is because the parents are not married... So we are going to do something to raise fifty bucks so that they can get married.  Hopefully we get something together soon.

But the fact that this family even wants to get baptized is a miracle.  This family has five boys and they all are like little Bart Simsons.  Which means they are terrible... But we love them all and they are getting better.  Well we hadn´t had the chance to talk to the father because he went out of town for fifteen days to work and try to win some money. (Fifteen days is an eternity in the mission especially when you have monthly goals to meet.)  So we kept teaching Elizabeth, his wife, and her kids.  Well she told us that she wanted to be baptized and that she would like for her children to be baptized as well...

Two of the little 'Barts!'
Jeremias and Luis Andres

When Elizabeth's husband, Wilfrido, returned from his trip my companion and I were fasting and praying for the Lord to soften his heart because he dosen´t like religion and thinks that those who go to church are hypocrites.... Well we taught him the Restoration and he really was interested in the lesson and when it was over we asked him what he thought and he said that he thought it was true.... My companion and I looked at each other and then I invited them all to be baptized and they all accepted.... It really was a miracle... Not just that this family accepted to be baptized but that they all have a sincere desire to know the truth.... 

Another little miracle that we had this past week was when we went to visit Anderson.  We have been working with this less active family, they have a boy who is twelve years old and he wants to get baptized but his parents say that he doesn´t know enough to get baptized.  We are trying to teach him but every time we do his mother comes in and tells Anderson that he has a chore to do or he has to run and do some stupid thing... But it is just so that he can´t listen... It is really frustrating. 

Well he went to his baptismal interview which was very surprising because his mother said, "He has so much homework that I shouldn´t be letting him go..."  but we convinced her and he came.  He passed the interview and came out saying that he really was excited to be baptized... Well when we dropped him off it was almost nine o´clock so we went back the next day to talk to his parents and his mom told us that he was NOT going to be baptized and that we had brain washed him!   THAT was a first in my mission... I have never been accused of brain washing and I never expected to hear that from a member!  Well we talked to her, we used the scriptures and showed her the scripture, "Suffer the little children to come unto me." when Christ said that in the Americas and in Jerusalem... Well she was out of words and excuses,  the spirit was so strong... she said that it was fine, Anderson could be baptized.  So we are really, really happy for that poor little kid.  The sweetest thing happened at his baptism... After he was baptized our ward mission leader who was conducting the baptism asked Anderson if he would like to say a few words.  Anderson stood up and said, "I felt really good during my baptism and I am really happy." He was smiling so big and then his little chin started to quiver and he burst out crying saying that he felt really good and then he thanked his mom for letting him be baptized... It was a really tender moment and his mom was crying and I was crying and like everyone was crying... and it was just really good. 

I know that these little kids are really important for the Lord and that he loves the little children.  I am glad that I am able to help his children here in Ecuador and I know that the Lord lives and loves all of us, and wants us to return home to him.  I love this work and I know that by small and simple means great things are brought to pass, because I have seen it my whole mission! 

Well I have to go. But I love you all more than I miss you!!!

Love Hermana Welch (Jess)

My companion in the kitchen of a sister who cooks for us!

uhhhh, my companion's eyebrows after I waxed them.
Let's just say I am retiring from the waxing thing!!!