June 1st

It has been a pretty good week-a little disappointing- yesterday, again, we had no one at church.  Christian had his interview on Saturday  and passed and everything.  Everything was set for his baptism, all he had to do was come to church,...but as I told you, no one came...we called after church and his mom said that she had slept in... so, his baptism will have to be the 13th, the last Saturday before transfers. 

Narcissa never answered her phone yesterday, so we don’t know what happened with her, but I think we are going to end up leaving her since the Hermanas were working with her before I got here and we are still working with her, but we´ll see.  

We have a new family that we are working with, as well-  the family Montano- and we found them in our area.  The Hermanas before had left them because they weren´t married and didn’t have plans to do so very soon, but they now are married and they are great...they just have yet to come to church, but they have an adorable little boy named Jairo, he is 3 and just a ball of energy!!  Ha, ha!!   We are going to keep working and teaching them the importance of coming to church.

In the Lord´s time will make it to the baptismal font and eventually, to the temple!   We, well, I also had the opportunity to do divisions with Hermana Castillo on Wednesday!  It was sooo fun!!  We talked a ton, about everything and anything and laughed and had a great time!!

Well, as I told you on Monday, we went to Chimborazo and it was great!! My companion got super sick, we think from the altitude, it is one of or the highest in the world, because Ecuador is already so high up then a volcano on top of it, but the rest of us were fine...at least until that night, we all had a horrible heachache!!!  So worth it!  It started snowing on us while we were there- the snow was soo pretty!!!

It is so true!  After high school, all the big decisions start!  As I have been talking with Hermana Castillo and it applies even more so now..we were talking about how the next really big decision we are going to be making is who we are going to be spending eternity with....just eternity-- no biggie! 

Get your patriarchal blessing!!!!!!!!!!!!  It is a huge help and guides in this phase of life!!

It is so true, even as missionaries, sometimes it is hard to accept the timing of the Lord in our lives and in the lives of those we are teaching, but I know that when we put our trust in Him, He will help us and everything will turn out the way it was always meant to be!

Take every advantage you have to go to the temple and be sure you are reading your scriptures-- the words of the Lord, special for you!! 

love you all have an amazing week!! 

Karlee Jo

May 18th

Wow!  It was a very fast week! A little disappointing yesterday that none of our investigators or part-actives came to church- but we had a great weekend full of reunions!!

Thursday we had our typical zone/district reunion, Saturday we had a special zone conference with the Guaranda zone, 11:30-4, so since we all 6 eat lunch together Saturday and Sunday, we ate ‘lunch’ at 10 before the conference, it was suuper good, but a ton of food!! 

Sunday was our district conference, like stake conference, and had some amazing talks, and the Elders said that in the priesthood session, President Christensen talked a lot about why they weren’t a stake, and really it is only because they don’t have enough faithful priesthood holders to ‘upgrade,’ but they will get there. They have put a lot of emphasis in finding and teaching families for us, so we have been working hard with that and last week, we found a family that was in our area book- that the Hermanas had taught before, but left because they weren’t married and didn’t have plans to do so soon- but when we were flipping through the book, we found them, and called and set up an appointment and they are super cool! They are now married and they seem really excited that we are visiting them again, the only down side is that they didn’t come to church yesterday..:( but we are going to continue working hard with them and the others that we have so that they can know how important it is to go to church, and take this step in their lives. 

We actually had a great zone activity today; we went to a nice soccer field and they are all like indoor courts here, but that is better, it means we don’t have to chase the ball!  It was super fun, our zone leaders split us up into teams and we played against each other. The first game was one elder against the 8 Hermanas!!   It is kind of sad and funny when the 3 Gringas play better than the Latinas,  ya know!  It was super fun, the second game was team against team- we had to score 2 goals, and then they asked afterwards who scored the goals?  Elder so and so –so, then the third game we played, only the Hermanas could score the goals; it was super fun!!  Then we talked about what we learned and how we can apply it to the mission; then we just played.  It was a ton of fun!! Afterwards, we all went to eat at the mall, we laughed a ton and had a great time!! 

The best thing I’ve had to eat this week was a burger from Carl’s Jr. today!  Ha,ha, well it isn’t that bad- it just isn’t the same..I do, however, eat soup just about every day for lunch, but we have to eat a plate of rice and meat..and other stuff after that..they eat soup here like the entrée, but hey…

Ha,ha!  It definitely takes time to actually write a letter, but I give you the challenge to have one written to put in my next package and I will try and get another one written as well!! 

  

My companion is Hermana Ferrufino, she´s good, she laughs at everything, so I am trying to have patience and laugh and enjoy it, but sometimes it would be nice to just be in silence for a few minutes!  Other than that, she is the typical Latina that takes forever to get ready and doesn’t seem to care or notice that we are going to be late or that I am ready and waiting so we can leave…but like you told me last week, I just need to be humble and forget about myself...I’m not here for me.  She´s not perfect and I am far from it..., we both have our faults and I just need to relax and enjoy the time together! 

Love you all

Always and forever,

KarleeJo 

May 11th

Yea, I don’t know what to tell you, but we will start with today!!  We had a great p-day!  We played cards and soccer..but not much.  One elder made a plate typical in Chile-- complete… basically hot dogs, but with guacamole, tomatoes, ketchup, mayo, and some put on Doritos and it was good!!  My new district is super fun, very different from the last one, but still great!!

I think one of the greatest things about the mission is being able to meet people from all over the world!!  I have, up until this point, had companions from 3 different countries, had people from about 10 different countries and it is always interesting to see and meet people from all of these different countries, learn about different cultures, try different foods, but as much as I love it- it is also very hard-- because of these same things. I know we are with the people we need to be with and with whom we are going to learn and grow...that doesn’t mean it is going to be easy or that we are going to have the greatest time of our lives.  The mission is work, it isn’t a vacation, entonces, and not everything is going to be 100% or even 80% comfortable; that too is one of the great things about the mission, we learn so much, we are pushed out of our comfort zone, into a whole new world, but it is the most amazing thing-- the most amazing and unique opportunity that we have!

I am so grateful for this opportunity, this once-in-a -lifetime chance to serve my Father in Heaven, to be a representative of my Savior, Jesus Christ! I have come to a new appreciation of the Book of Mormon and how much it blesses and guides our lives! I know that we can receive answers to all of our questions, concerns, or doubts. It one of the ways that our Heavenly Father has to communicate with us!! Joseph Smith was an amazing instrument in the hands of our Father to translate the plates. and that it was by the power of the Holy Ghost that he was able to do all that he did and I know that I have the amazing opportunity right now for the next and last 9 months of my mission to continue being an instrument in the hands of my Father-- that it is only through our faith and the spirit that we will be able to find the people that are waiting for us to find them!

Our ZL on Thursday shared this quote with us: “While we are waiting for references from the members, we are contacting references from our Father in Heaven.”  It is so amazing! We are always trying to work more and more with the members, but sometimes they don’t always realize how powerful and important they are in helping the work progress- but they are amazing!!

The branch here is amazing and they are excited and want to help they just don’t always know how to do it, which is where we come in!

I love this work and I know that we are with the people we need to be with, that are going to help us to grow and progress more along the path! I know that if we are obedient in all things we are going to receive all the blessings that our Father has prepared for us. As it says in the scriptures, He will open the windows of heaven and blessings will pour out upon us!!!  Never forget that he has angels all around us! Don’t be afraid to open your mouth and share what you know!! D&C 84:88 

I love this work so much and I am so grateful to be a part of it!! I love you all sooo much and am so grateful for all of your love and support!!

Have an amazing week!!!!!

Love always and forever

KarleeJo

May 4th

No letter for this week, but lots of pictures shared.  Apparently, they visited a home with lots of animals... Splits with Sister Castillo and more.

cute piggy

Mama pig and 2 day old piglets

2 day old piglets

piggy kisses

ducks?

goats

turkey

Karlee's new companion

Splits with Sister Castillo

More Sister Castillo

Karlee

Karlee

Karlee

Being silly with Sister Redondo

Last Zone picture before transfers

We are warriors!

District Gringos

District Gringos

District holding Ecuadorian flag

Holding the Ecuadorian flag

Karlee on train tracks- Chimborazo in background

Ecuadorians walking down the road

Super pretty view

Chimborazo

April 20th

Wow! First off, I can’t believe it snowed there!! It has been super hot today so it is even harder to imagine that!! Ha,ha well, it really isn’t all that hot- the thermometer says that it is only like 59º, but the sun is so much closer here that it feels super hot!  It was such a nice change- that we were sweating and not just sitting playing cards all of p-day! 

This week was a little disappointing! We worked hard all week and had 2 with commitments that said yes they were coming, another that said she was coming and like 6 part-actives that said they were coming and we were super excited…but, no one came!!:(   One, when we called, was like, oh, well, my son needs another lesson with you before he is ready to go to church...not true he was ready, his mom, a part-active that keeps finding any and every excuse to not come...it is a common theme in this branch-- entre los part-actives!  That just means that we have to work even harder with the members so that all our other work isn’t lost! 

It was also a good week- we found two new investigators, Christian, is the son of one of our part-actives that hasn’t been to church for 9 years!  He is super, super, smart and has lots of questions and we are excited about him and he will progress very well...if his mom will let him...like I said before, she called us and said that they weren’t coming because he wasn’t ready…really, it is she that isn’t ready.   We have another visit with him tomorrow and are excited for that!  Our other is a man named Edmundo, Edmundo is a super cool guy that said when we contacted him in a taxi, that various sets of missionaries had contacted him and he´d given his information, but none of them had ever followed up. He is super cool and he has an interview for the 16th, and he is super cool--we are going to go visit him tonight! 

We haven´t done divisions yet, we are doing them on Thursday!  It will be super cool--I am going to the sector of the Hermana leaders with Hermana Castillo and Hermana Gonzales is coming to our sector.  

I loved the analogy of the seeds, it reminds me of a talk that I heard, something along the lines of every person needing to hear of the church or talk to the missionaries or members on average seven times before they are ready-- and how we never know where we sit on the number line. So, we always have to be talking to people because those that are at a 1 don’t want anything to do with it, but the closer they get to being a 7 the closer they are to being a golden investigator!! But, I loved it; it is motivation to contact! Ha,ha! 

Well, before I forget- the picture I sent of the baptism, was a baptism of the elders and she is super cute! It was super exciting!  

Thanks for always having words of comfort and encouragement every week I love you all so much!!! 

Have a fantastic week!!! Don’t forget to smile!! I love you all sooo much!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love always and forever

Karlee Jo

Elders' baptism 

Hermana Group

Lunch

Booya!  We're stylin'!