May 23, 2011: Best Day in the MIssion

Family,
   Ok, brace yourselves because you are in for a long, but good letter. And sorry, the ´shift´ key is not working so well...so bear with me. But I just had to express all that has been going on the last couple days and I just feel so incredibly happy. Ok, so a little background on the story. So two weeks ago, we met a sweet lady named Gloria (I liked her from the start because of her name and grandma`s name). We met her sitting in the street selling treats out of a basket and she was sitting below this beautiful Catholic church that we pass everyday. We stopped to buy chocolates from her and then we asked if we could share a message with her right there. So we sat and taught her about the Atonement and invited her to be baptized all in a short 15 minute visit. She accepted to be baptized on the 21st of May and then she went to church with us the next day. The sad thing was that she wouldn`t give us a good direction to her house because she said its too dangerous to go there and that she would just come down for visits with us by the church. So then for the last two weeks we couldn`t find her anywhere. We were asking everyone if they had seen her and everyone said no. We were devastated and praying like crazy that we could find her.  Then this week, we were really busy with things in the office like usual. We got to go to the temple again and it was amazing. Then Saturday came and it was the first day in a long time that we figured we didn`t need to go to the office and we were going to dedicate the day to "rescuing" everyone that we could not find during the week because of our lack of time.  We had a full day planned out and we were so excited. Then in the morning, we got a call from President and he told us that we needed to go with him and the assistants to Machala (a city about 3 hours from here) to help two hermanas that were sick and to make sure our relations wtih the hospitals there were good. When we hung up the phone, we were so sad because we were told that we were going to sleep in Machala and that we wouldn`t be able to bring people to church.  So we were calling everyone for help. Yes, and we did a little murmuring... so then we went with president to Machala and Hermana Mairena stayed with the hermana that was sick and I got to go out with Hermana Velasquez in her sector to find and teach the people they hadn't been able to see because they had been sick in the house. That was a lot of fun to be with her in her sector. Then that night president said that if we wanted to go back by bus we could so that if we wanted to make it back for church in the morning we could.  So we left with the assistants on the bus and we were happy to have had the opportunity to help the hermanas but also sad because we felt like we lost everyone not being able to be in our sector. Its hard because we feel like we are stuck between two good things...helping the sick missionaries and preaching the gospel. Whats a girl to do?!  So then we got up early the next morning and we recieved a call from Richard, who is 20 years old and we have been teaching him for about 3 weeks.  He called us and told us that he couldn`t go to church with us because his brother was murdered the night before. We were so incredibly sad. We couldn`t believe it. His mom also hasn`t returned home in a long time because she is addicted to drugs. On our first contact with him, he told us that he wanted to be baptized. He is amazing. So we left the house in the morning to go and bring everyone to church but no one was home or wanted to come. So we arrived in church early and we were sitting there, thinking of Richard and feeling very sad. Then the bishops daughter came over and said that the bishop wanted to see us in his office. So we ran downstairs to his office and you will never believe what happened! Gloria was sitting in his office!!!!! I began to cry and tell her that we had been looking all over for her. Then she asked us, "So when is my baptism?" we were so surprised and so happy. What a miracle and answer to our prayers. I prayed that morning that she could remember that church started at 9 am and there she was! Heavenly father is aware of every child. She is going to get baptized on S aturday and we have lots to teach her! What a miracle! I can just imagine Heavenly Father saying on Saturday when we were so sad to leave our sector..."Tranquilla, I have something special planned for you tomorrow!" Honestly, I was so filled with emotion yesterday...words cannot describe. Then hermana Maria Eugenia who was baptized last month, sat by her and put her arm around her and said, "right now you feel empty, like i did, but after your baptism you will feel complete." Hermana Mairena and I were brimming with felicidad. Then the familia Herrera walked into church and we were so excited. Then last night we had a famiy home evening with them and brought ward missionaries with us. Hermano William introduced an activity about love. He then asked the mom and dad and each of the children when the last time was that they told eachother they loved each other. They all admitted that it had been years. So then they were asked to go around and each of them had to tell each member of the famiy "te amo". They were in tears and we, again, were left feeling so happy. That is what the Gospel is all about. It's about loving each other and building our families up when all the world would tear them down.  My thoughts this week have been that the Gospel is for everyone. It takes people who have hard lives with families who don`t love them or care for them as families should and gives them the opportunity to have a better life...to find love in the Gospel. It`s so real and I have watched it literally change the faces of the people that we have taught. I love it. I have also learned that i should not be so quick to despair when hard things come. I should have more faith in the Lord and his ability to help us. He wants to help us. I underestimate him. I am so incredibly happy right now. Yesterday was the best day of my time here in Ecuador thus far. The gospel is true. 
    I love each of you and I am glad to hear you are all doing so well. Thank you for your letter mom! I`m glad you had so much fun this week. Thank you everyone for supporting me. It makes the work so much easier.
-Hna Salmon