Am Family in Ecuador

This week, I learned that I have a family here in Ecuador. Obviously not a real family, but a family that is willing to help me, love me, and be there for me no matter what. I learned that there are things I can do for them that no one else can, and for the first time in my mission so far, I feel like I am starting to realize my purpose.

All of the members here in Vinces are wonderful and at this point are like family, but particularly I feel that I am part of the Escobar Family. Presidente Escobar is the President of our Branch here in Vinces and his immediate family is all active in the church, but his extended family isn't. His niece Elena is one of the branch missionaries and she helps us out a lot. She comes with us to teach lessons with our investigators twice almost every week and she feels like a long lost sister. Her cousin Yimabel also helps us out a lot and she is definitely a kindred spirit.

We spend a lot of time with the both of them, but it wasn't until a week and a half ago that she told us that the majority of her family isn't active in the church. In her house, there are about 15 people living together and only 3 of them are really active in the church. We went to their house to have family home evening one night in the hopes of talking with the people who are less active or aren't members. Elena didn't have a ton of hope because the missionaries have tried before and had no success; but we went nevertheless.

At first people seemed a little hesitant, but little by little more people joined in on our family home evening. By the end of the night, Elena's aunt, Gabriella, who has been less active for years, was talking about wanting her son Galo to be baptized. Galo seemed to want it too, although he is a little timid in his personality and wasn't willing to talk too much.

Over the next week and a half, we taught and visited with Galo, Gabriella, Elena, and Yimabel almost every other day. Galo was baptized this Saturday and Gabriella had her interview to recieve a calling and be "reactivated."  I am excited about this because with their family, I feel that their desire to attend church and be baptized was true and solid. They have family and friends in the church that are going to help them learn and stay active. Also, Elena told us that she has never seen Gabriella respond well to the missionaries and that is is some kind of miracle that Gabriella was willing to listen to us. In reality, I have no idea why. I don't know how or why we were different for her, but we were. We were the people she needed, and that is a testimony to me that every missionary has a purpose.

In other news, Ecuador celebrates Easter a little differently than the USA. On Friday night, we got to witness a South American style funeral parade in memory of the death of Jesus Christ. We live on the main street in Vinces so we could see all of it from our apartment window two stories above the street. It was beautiful. So many people together with candles and music, marching in memory of the person that gave the world everything.

Anyway, I'm out of time again, but Happy Easter to all from down here in Ecuador!

Love,

Hermana Eyre

the pictures with all the lights and people were taken from our apartment. We live on like the main street in town and on Friday night for "Santa Semana" there was a funeral like parade in rememberance of the death of Jesus Christ. It was pretty cool.