sista b: That awkward moment when the key broke in the lock

"It´s the ciiiiiiiiircle of liiiiiiiiiiiifeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee"

Dearest family, friends, and stalkers,

ALI PATCHAAAAAAA. (It´s all good.)

PUPPPPIESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

This week was incredible. The Familia Amaguaña (Margarita, Segundo and Adela) accepted fecha (a date) for bautismo (baptism on) the 20th!!! White Christmas!! It was very dramatic though, getting to that point. Because apparently, on Sunday, there was a giant Catholic wedding of their familiares (relatives) that live right in front of them. (Parties here last for 4 days and there are more drunk people than rush week in the south). Segundo wasn't planning on drinking, because he had stopped for 2 months, since he met the missionaries, but when he was pressured by all his friends and family, they convinced him and he did. Margarita even did a little too. It was so sad.

We came back Monday night and Hno (Brother) Segundo was walking home and his wife was helping him - both of them crying. Apparently when he was trying to recuperate himself, his friends were mocking him for being a "poor little Mormon", and saying that they "got the Mormon to drink". It was pretty traumatic for he and Hna (Sister) Margarita. On Tuesday night we went to see how they were doing, and Margarita was outside. She wanted somewhere to go, and asked us if Flia Chuquin - their hermanador/vecino (fellowshipper/neighbor) - was home, because she wanted to be at their house, instead of home with Hno (Bro) Segundo because she didn't want to see him like that.

We called flia Chuquin and they weren't there, so we decided to go teach her something in the church and comfort her a little. Right as we were walkin down the hill, flia Chuquin showed up, and they invited us to come in their house. We had with us a couple recent converts/ward missionaries too. When we got in, Hermana Chuquin asked her how she was doing and she said "muy mal" (very bad) and then told us everything that had happened with her family and friends mocking them and convincing them to drink.

Then we shared about the Atonement and had a mini testimony meeting. The Spirit was so strong. Everyone shared animos and their testimonies of how the Atonement has helped them. We went back on Thursday and taught Segundo once he was sober, and had some really spiritual conversations. He was definitely experiencing godly sorrow. He gave the closing prayer and was sobbing while asking forgiveness to his Father in Heaven. We were checking their understanding on the lessons and decided to give them again.

Cows. I´m back in my element, y'all :)

This family is INCREDIBLE. I feel like I know them, like from the pre-earth life. I feel like my whole mission up until this point has prepared me for this time with them. They've got such desires to do whats right, and they still came to church on Sunday despite the ¨disowning¨and mocking going on by all but a few of their freinds and family. They are such and example! They've been coming to church for the past 2 months and their two oldest daughters were baptized last month. The whole ward loves and supports them. When Segundo prayed on Saturday night when we visited them, he said, ¨I will be there, on the 20th of December, in Thy name, and I will get baptized¨, it was so awesome. So that family has already got a very big spot in my heart. I love them. [I have pics but they're on my other memory stick and I left it at home.]

YO AMO OTAVALOOOOOOOOOOO

(I LOVE OTAVALO)

I've seen so many people I know! People I met a YEAR AGO. Hi, I´m old. AND THEY ALL REMEMBER ME! That's the miraculous part of it all. It's so great to be back. I feel like this - Otavalo - is home.

Insert the Lion King sunlight quote here. I totally forgot how it goes exactly, you could look it up on IMDB.com... but it's like, ALL THAT THE SUNLIGHT TOUCHES IS OUR KINGDOM or something hahahah.

WE LOVE OTAVALO!

One afternoon, we were tracting up in Huacxara and you could literally hear and see the rain coming. It was so awesome. I love Ecuadorrrrrrrr.

The slide we take to get to church heh heh heh

Monday we went out to work and ran into a ward missionary, Hermana Sandry and she came out with us to visit. I also got to meet our ward mission leader, Hermano Chuquín (who is basically SUPERMAN, even though he´s 5'1" ) and we did some visits to some less actives and investigators. OUR SECTOR IS ON A MOUNTAIN. And it's uphill everywhere. It's so awesome. The view is breathtaking. I feel like I'm in a movie every single day. I am constantly reminded of how blessed I am. I have actually been having lotsa dejavus lately too. According to my ma that means I'm in the right time, with the right people, in the right place. AND BOY, DO I BELIEVE IT! :)

We were tracting and contacting to no avail and then, it started pouring rain. We decided to contact a cute little yellow house, and a bawling 30 year old opened the door. She hurried us in and had us sit down. Her 15 year old son had just ran away because he´s a gangsta and was involved in drugs. We consoled her and shared that she's a DAUGHTER OF GOD, and He loves her. Once she calmed down, she said that she truly felt God's love in that moment and knew that He had sent us there. Then She came to the Christmas Devotional 2 days later. It's so awesome how there are so many prepared people to hear the message. And that a facet of the gospel always lines up with their lives.

YUMMMM catsossssss, they´re little beatles that people eat here with tostado.

Playing with our food when we got locked out last night with the neighborhood vecinos

Last night we definitely got locked out from our apartment because the key done broke in the lock. We had just windsprinted home from the stake center (all the way across all of Otavalo) because the Christmas Devotional went till 9:22pm and we are obedient missionaries, sooo. ALSO, a rabies infested wolf-dog about took off my leg, so that was exciting as well. Our neighbor is the 2nd counselor of the bishopric and he climbed through our window and broke into our house. Gotta love the vecis (neighbors) :) We played with catsos, the beetles they eat here, while waiting. Our other neighbor also promised us she would make us cui (ginuea pig) or Christmas, oh the joy.

That awkward moment when the 2nd counselor of your ward Bishopric breaks into your house because your key broke in the lock at 9:30pm on Sunday night

I loved ALL THE TALKS on Sunday. If y'all missed it, go back and watch. It's the best. I love how we all can be a little more Christlike in this lovely season. REMEMBER THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!

Oh my gosh, there´s just way too much to write, but. God is good. This is the Lord's work. Jesus is the Christ. THE CHURCH IS TRUEEE :)

Remember who you are &

make good choices:)!

Con amoorrrrrrrrrrr,
Hermana Bowman

PS. IF YOU LOVE ME, YOU WILL SEND ME CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON FOR CHRISTMAS. Thank you, that's all.