Chapter 15 - ¡Feliz Navidad! Christmas in Ecuador

Dear Friends and Family,

¡Feliz Navidad! I hope you are all enjoying these last few days before Christmas. It's so weird to think that Christmas is this week, it is so different being on a mission during this time of year. I'm not around my family, I'm speaking another language, and it's really hot which just does not equal Christmas in my mind haha but I like it. The people here have Christmas trees and other decorations so that helps me get in the Spirit. Also the opportunity to serve others instead of think of myself is an opportunity I am really grateful for as well. 

Zona La Florida

Christmas in South America:

So Christmas traditions here in South America are so different from the United States but it has been fun to learn more about their culture and how they celebrate Christmas. So on the 24th they all get together as family as most of us do, but they open up presents at like 11 pm and then eat La Cena or a huge dinner that starts at 12am and they just eat and eat and then sleep for like the whole day on the 25th. I was like wow that is way different than Christmas in the U.S. They eat all sorts of meat and chocolates and other food in la cena oh and they love fruit cake....yeah it's really big. I don't really understand it but they love it haha

Also, we got to go to the temple this week! Oh it was soo awesome. I have missed the temple and it's only been like 2 months more or less since I went to the temple last in Colombia but I have really missed it. It truly is a part of heaven on the earth. The peace you feel in the temple is unlike any other peace in the world. We can set aside all our worldy cares and just focus on being in the temple. No matter where you are in the world, you can go to the House of the Lord and find refuge, peace, and comfort. I am go grateful for the opportunity we had to go to the temple and I encourage all of you to go to the temple as often as you can. Take advantage of the great blessing it is to have a temple, well multiple temples, so close!

So just a few more things. Life not being in a trio has been a little strange which is weird because before I wasn't in a trio but I don't know, it just feels weird. It's like, just when you get used to something, it changes. It's probably a good thing though. It's kinda rough being two new missionaries trying to figure out how to do everything that we need to do but I know that the Lord has prepared us and will continue to be our strength. We are nothing without God and I know there is absolutely no way I could be a missionary without His help.

P.S. Thank you Cub Scout Pack for the letter! So I work in the mission office right now two days out of the week because my companion is a mission nurse and she has to do stuff in the office and therefore I go with her and all the mail comes here first before going out to the missionaries and so you can only imagine my surprise when one of the Elders just out of the blue asks me "Hermana Roylance, were you close to the Scouts in your ward?" haha I was so confused and taken aback but then he gave me the letter. THANK YOU DC2nd WARD! It was such a sweet thing to do, it made me think of home. Thank you for all your support and prayers! :)

Hermana Roylance

Pictures are from a tourist place called Al Faro

Chapter 14 - And Then There Were Two

Hi Everyone,

Hope you all are enjoying the Christmas season! Here I am enjoying the heat (well ok not really, but it's okay) and I also enjoyed our baptism yesterday! We had a baptism yesterday and it was really great. It's my first baptism where I was actually there for all the lessons and saw his transformation unlike the other times where I just swoop in at the end.... 

His name is Harrington and he is super awesome. He has a friend in the ward who just left on a mission two weeks ago and he said that he is his motivation. He said he needed this change in his life and he was so receptive to the gospel. He was so ready to hear our message and accepted everything so quickly. He wants to serve a mission and is just so great. I was even more happy that the YSA welcomed him and included him and he really feels like part of the ward. I really am so blessed to be in this ward and to see the progress of so many of God's children. Also, remember that you can be an example to those around you. Like I said, Harrington's motivation to change was his friend. We have the power and responsibility as members of the Church to teach our friends and family and be examples of our Savior Jesus Christ. Continue to strive to be the example that he would have you be. People notice what you do and say.

Also, my trio is breaking! Hermana Vera is going home on Thursday and I just don't know how I feel about that... 

Hermana Vera y Hermana Roylance

She is such a great missionary and I have learned so so much from her. She is so funny and has the spirit and is really one of my best friends. I am going to miss her so much but I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work with her. Now Hermana Colachagua and I have to brave it on our own. Hermana Colachagua only has like 2 weeks more than me in the mission so we're just a couple of newbies here in Florida but it's great. She knows so much and I can't wait to see what this week brings.

I am so grateful for the chance to be a missionary and to preach the gospel. I still can't speak Spanish fully and I am learning the ways of missionary work but the Lord really is my shepard and helps me so much. Continue to walk in the paths of righteousness and look to Him in all things! Love you guys!

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST DAD IN THE WORLD!!! Don't mind my crazy hair......it's hot here.... 

 

Love,

Hermana Roylance

Chapter 13 - Another Week in the Heat

Dear Friends and Family,

I really forget that it's December because like where is the snow? and it's not cold at all and actually quite hot but it's ok, I make it through. Enjoy all the Christmas-y things for me :)

(Ashley is sitting between her companions, Hermana Vera on her right and Hermana Colachagua on her left.  They are mission nurses, and this is taken at the December new missionary orientation - where they have the nurses come and give part of the orientation.)

This week was full of changes. It is so different being in a trio but I am grateful for the opportunity because I am learning so much from my companions. I love them so much, they are so funny. Also, this weekend we had a baptism! and this time it really was our investigator, not just someone in our zone. Her name is Lidice and she is so awesome. This is how it was for my when I first arrived in the mission field. My first week we had a marriage and a baptism and guess what we had last week? A marriage and a baptism! Lidice and Nefi were married this weekend and Lidice was baptized on Saturday.

 It was so great. I obviously haven't worked with her that long because I just got to this area but for the little time that I got to teach her and talk with her, I learned to love her. She has the light of Christ with her and she is truly so happy. It helped remind me of my real purpose here as a missionary. My purpose here is to invite others to come unto Christ and to find the people who are ready to hear the gospel. This gospel can really change lives. The spirit is an incredible thing and I am so grateful for it in my life. The church is growing more and more every day and I am so grateful and feel so blessed to be serving his children in Ecuador!

Things are good here. Something I have learned here....DO NOT drink the water. We have purified water in our house so that's good, but sometimes the people give us water and twice I have made the mistake of drinking it...like people told me this but it took me two times of drinking it and then regretting it the next day to finally decide that drinking the water is not the best idea...haha oh man. Being a missionary is fun. It really is such a great experience and I love it! Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Roylance

Chapter 12 - Transfers

Hi Everybody,

So before I talk about transfers, I want to tell you about some other things first. I'm glad to hear your Thanksgiving was good. Here, we also had a mini Thanksgiving of sorts. Since I am the only gringa in my house they told me I had to conduct. Haha we had patacones (fried plantanes...so good) and bread with nutella. I couldn't have asked for anything else. We ate and went around in a circle and said what we were grateful for. It was so good and so fun. We also had a picinic last pday in our house which was an adventure too. Good times.

So first, intercambios. On Wednesday I had an intercambio (I can't remember what it's called in English....) and one of the sister leaders came to my sector and worked with my while my companion went to be with her companion. yeah. It was really good. I was kind of nervous because our sector is huge and like they don't really have addresses in the lomas and I'm used to just getting off the bus when my companion stands up and I just follow like a loyal puppy or something but that day I had to know where I was going and it was kinda scary but overall it went well. I was a little bit worried about being the one to start the lessons and talk more than I'm used to but the Lord truly helps us when we need it and it all went smoothly. The sister leader helped me a lot. She is such a hard worker and by the end of that day I was soo tired. But all is well.

Transfers! Wow this time in the mission has felt so long but so short at the same time. We had transfers today and I got transferred...kind of. I'm still int he same ward and a little bit of the same place but I am now in a trio with the Hermanas that I live with and my companion got transfered. Wow. It was a rough night last night. So my companion has been in the mission field for ten months and she's been in the same sector and same zone for her whole mission...yeah...and so last night when we got the call, it was really hard for her. She is such a great missionary and I know this is hard but I know she is needed in other places and needs to help other missionaries and members in other places. Being in a trio will be strange but it will be good. We will only be in a trio until December 18 because Hermana Vera extended her mission and so instead of leaving tomorrow she leaves December 18 and so yeah. New things ahead.

I hope you all are having a great week. Enjoy some of that snow for me!

Love,

Hermana Roylance

Me  making patacones

 Thanksgiving Feast

Chapter 11 - ¡Feliz Navidad!

Hi everyone,

 

¡Feliz Navidad! So I know we still have a month until Christmas but we had our Christmas conference with the whole mission this week and so I've been thinking a lot about it and this time of year!

 

 It was so much fun to see all the missionaries in my mission and to see the Hermanas from my district in the CCM. I love them so much so it was fun to talk with them and see how things are going for them. I sang in the choir as well, so that was fun. We started the conference with some words from Presidente and Hermana Dennis and then watched the movie about Joseph Smith and the Restauration. I love this movie. I think it's one of my favorite church movies. It is so powerful and is such a strong witness that Joseph Smith really was a prophet of God and did, in reality, restore the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth. We watched this movie in the CCM as well and both times I've watched it on my mission, I have felt the spirit so strong. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God...Yo se que Jose Smith fue un profeta de Dios. I just felt this overwhelming sense of love for my Heavenly Father while watching it. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary and to labor in this work. Joseph Smith endured trials and afflictions of all kinds but he never gave up because he knew the truth. The things in this life that are of the most worth and never easy to accomplish. The Savior suffered so much for us. The prophets and apostles and really every member of the church experiences some sort of persecution. Why? Because it's true. We cannot know the joy if we do not know the sorrow. This week on Friday I was having a hard time and was feeling discouraged and beaten down, but God blessed me with a great companion who helped me through this difficult time. I thought of the Savior and Elder Holland's words about how it was never easy for the Savior and so how could we ever expect it to be easy for us? This life is not easy and we will experience many hardships and trials but never forget in whom you have trusted. I invite you to put your trust in God. He has a plan for each of His children and he will never leave you to go through this life alone. Pray to Him, He is listening. This month we have Thanksgiving in the US and even though there isn't Thanksgiving here, I have thought a lot about what I am thankful for. Every night with my companion we write 3 things we were grateful for that day and it really helps me see the hand of the Lord in my life. I am so thankful for my family and friends and the Gospel. I am infinitely grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and for the Atonement. This chruch is true. Christ loves each and every one of us. Take time this month to really focus on what you are grateful for. Take time this Christmas season to remember HIM. 

Have a great week! Thank you for all the love and support!

Love,

Hermana Roylance

Pictures

Merry Christmas from Hermana Phippen, Hermana Parker, and I. No this was not planned.....I guess when you're companions in the CCM for 6 weeks you have this bond and just show up to the Christmas Conference wearing the exact same outfit....haha 

Chapter 10 - Another Week Down

Cool Parrot Statue

 

Hi everyone,

Things have been good here in the mission, a little slow, but still good. It's hard work, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!

So this week there was a big soccer game going between Ecuador and Uruguay on Thursday and it was so fun to see everyone around town in their jerseys. Soccer is so big here, because hello, South America, but it was so cool to see. Also, usually there are a lot of people in the streets when we're walking around, but on Thursday, there was no one...the streets were so empty...haha thats how big soccer is here. haha everyone was watching the game. And Ecuador won 2-1 so that was exciting too!

So, on Thursday, the day of the game, when everyone was watching their TVs, we were headed to an appointment with one of our investigators and when we were going up to the house, we heard the game on and I thought, "why are we here, there is no way he is going to stop watching the game and listen to us..."  but as we knocked on the door, he was so happy to see us and willingly left the game and we had a great lesson and the spirit was so strong. I was amazed and also really humbled. God humbles me so much here on my mission. Sometimes my faith isn't as great as it needs to be but the Lord loves me enough to show me that all things are possible through Him. The Lord loves each of us so much and when our faith waivers, just keep going and He will show you the way. When that thought of doubt came into my mind, I just thought, ok, I don't know how this is going to go, but even if he doesn't want to listen, we have done our part. And the Lord blessed us with a wonderful opportunity to teach and I am so grateful for that.

Also, I have learned that God is in the little things. During one of our lessons, I had this thought to ask our investigator what he expected from our visits but I didn't know the word for expect. My bag was on my lap with my diccionary within reach and I opened the dictionary to a random page and the word I need was right there..on the page..at the top. I was so thankful for that small but significant miracle. There are so many other times too, where I am just so aware of His hand in my life. It is through the small things that great things are brought to pass. I invite you all to look for the little tender mercies of the Lord in your life and you will start to see how much the Lord really does love you.

Have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Roylance

P.S.

Here is a picture of my first baptismal service and the other is a picture of one of the girls in a recent convert family...she is so cute!

 

The apartment. Nothing fancy, but it's a bed!

Getting ready for Christmas - just a little early.

All the comforts of home!

Even Quizno's!

Chapter 9 - 2 Months!

 Hello all,

I cant believe Ive been on a mission for two months! It seems like just yesterday I left my house...but then again I remember how long the CCM seemed to last for and I am like, yeah, it has been two months...haha but all is well.

I am learning so many things here on my mission. One of those things, apart from all the spiritual things, is I learned how to do my laundry by hand...I mean it's pretty self explanatory, but yeah, my companion showed me how. It takes a long time to wash a weeks worth of clothes...and we could take them to someone to wash them for us but that takes a long time too so we just wash by hand. Its really not that bad.

Colada Morada. Ok so there is this thing in Ecuador called Colada Morada and it's huge. Its a purple juice drink with fruit in it...I dont really know how else to describe it. Its really good though. There are these big pieces of fruit, I dont know what they are, but they have a pit that you spit out. Anyway, its pretty good and its everywhere. The members make it, they restaurants have it and you just see everyone with it. It was interesting to try. I am trying so many new things here in Ecuador, it's pretty fun.

¡No agua! So on Saturday and part of Sunday we didn't have any water. It was a city wide thing..I don't know why...I couldnt understand the announcement that was made when we were walking down the street....all I knew is that we wouldn't have any water. Its ok though because we arent really home that much during the day and we filled up these basins (the basins we hand wash our clothes in) with water and used that when we needed water. We have water now though so it's ok.

50 Year Celebration! I don't think I talked about this last week, and if I did, I'm sorry, but there was a big program last week celebrating 50 years of Mormons in Ecuador! It was so cool! When I read the poster for this I thought, wow, 50 years isn't that long, yet the church is so strong and continually growing. And I am part of helping it grow! There were different dance groups and singers, all members of the church and it was so cool to see. The  dances were cultural dances and those were really neat to see. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have seen a part of their culture! The work here is going well and I am so grateful to be a missionary!

I hope you are all doing well. I think about you guys often and I can feel you love. Have a great week!

P.S. I think I'm ruining the Latinas....haha their favorite words are wicked, liar, and robber...haha I didn't teach them these words on purpose, they asked me what they were in English and I told them and its so funny to hear them use them. They dont know a ton of English but phrases often heard in our house are "Hermana Roylance, your companion is wicked" "Don't be a robber" "you are a liar" and so forth...its so funny.

Chapter 8 - Its Monday Again?

Hoooray!  The mission President's wife came through today on the mission blog and posted pictures of the new missionaries.  Thank you Sister Dennis!!!  So, get ready for Ashley picture overload.  Its now just a little bit more real that she's in Ecuador now.  I'll post her letter from this week, and then all the pictures.  Enjoy!

 Hermana Roylance y Hermana Gonzales

Hello friends and family,

I cant believe its monday again! This week went by so fast! Its still warm here but Im learning to manage...and good news, my ankles have reappeared...a little. haha

So right now I am sitting in a mall. Yes, they have this big mall called City Mall and its just like the US. Its so weird because you walk outside and its Ecuador with its concrete houses and lomas (hills) filled with houses and its just so different. Last week we ate Pizza from Pizza Hut in the food court so that reminded me of home. They have lots of stuff here that you can find in the US. I didnt think you could, but then again I didnt really know what to expect from Guayaquil, but I love it all!

English to the rescue! So I dont know if I said this but I live with the mission nurses and the other morning an Elder called saying he was sick and Hermana Vera (one of the other missionaries in my apartment-there are 4 of us total) asked him "do you want to speak in English, would that be easier?" he said yes and then she handed the phone to me...I talked to him and got to use my English and nursing at the same time! It was awesome. I felt so blessed to have had the opportunity to help another missionary and use my English. As for the Spanish, its coming slowly but surely.

Ok so I never said where I live. To put it simply, I live in a hobbit hole next to the Catholic church...yeah our apartment is a small little thing with no windows in the area where we study...well there is one window but it has a big curtain over it so all we have is the lights on the wall which are not very bright and so sometimes...like ok maybe every morning, I have to try REALLY hard not to fall asleep during personal study..and yes we live next to the Catholic church..Its pretty fun.

I am so grateful for my companion! She is so kind and patient with me and my Spanish. Oh and she finishes the juices that some of the members give us that I dont like...shes the best! haha she is so funny and helps me in so many ways. She pushes me to be a better missionary and to get out of my comfort zone. Im out of my comfort zone a lot...like everytime I open my mouth and try to speak Spanish..but I know the Lord will help me. I have faith!

So this week was good. We found some new investigators and one of our investigators that earlier in the week had said she wasnt interested showed up at church yesterday and said she wanted us to come over! Wow! It was amazing. We taught her and she said that she had been reading the Book of Mormon. Her countenance had changed..I could see it and when we left her house Hermana Gonzales just said "el Libro de Mormon es la clave" The Book of Mormon is the key! How true this is. I can see in our investiagators that read the Book of Mormon that they are happier and more willing to open up and talk. The Book of Mormon has power and Ive never seen how powerful it truly is until now. I know the Book of Mormon is true and you can find peace and guidance in its pages. Read it. Ponder it. Pray about. Its true!

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Roylance

Arrival at the Airport: President and Sister Dennis there to meet them

Group photo at the airport

Hermanas group photo at the airport

  

Catching taxis back to the mission home

I don't think that Ashley has ever been in a taxi in her life

Instruction at the Mission President's home

Lunch at the Mission President's home

 Lunch at the Mission President's home

Group photo at the Mission President's home

Hermanas group photo at the Mission President's home

Mission Office : Waiting for their interviews with President Dennis

2nd day in Ecuador : Training

2nd day in Ecuador : Training

2nd day in Ecuador : Lunch

2nd day in Ecuador : New missionaries with trainers

  

2nd day in Ecuador :One last group photo

2nd day in Ecuador : New pillow and new mattress cover

 2nd day in Ecuador : Catching a taxi on the way to their area

Chapter 7 - Where to start?

I've been holding on to this entry for a week now.   I was really hoping that Ashley's mission president's wife would post the pictures that they take when the missionaries arrive in the mission.  But, my wait was in vain.  I know she'll post them eventually.  And then Ashley didn't bother to send any pictures with this letter either.   Either way she sounds good, and is doing well.  Oh, and BTW, when she says that she's in Florida, it is Florida Ward in Guayaquil.

Hello Everyone!

Wow, where to start? SO much has happened since the last time I wrote....Im in Ecuador and I love it! It is soo different than any place I have ever been. Wow, but I love it!

I just need to make a list:

1. Im in Florida (Flor·eee·da) Im serving in Florida and its wonderful, when I heard the name of the place I was like, Hey! Florida, but you say it different. Anyway, Its wonderful.

2. My comanion is Hermana Gonzales and she is amazing! She has been here in this sector for her whole mission, which is 9 months! WOW! But its so great because she knows everyone and where to go which is good because our sector is really big and most of the time I dont know where I am but Im learning! She is so sweet and helps me with my Spanish. Its funny because sometimes I forget that like I dont every speak English...just because she talks in a way that I can, for the most part, understand what shes saying. Also, when people are talking and I dont understand, which is quite often, I like to her like shes gonig to translate it into English haha but she doesnt...she just says it in a simpler way and Im very grateful for that.

3. There are dogs everywhere... I probably see, on average, 25 dogs a day, depending on where Im going that day...They are seriously everywhere. But its okay because they dont really bother us. Oh and there are stray cats too, but not as many as well as chickens..yeah its pretty crazy.

4. Ok Florida is full of hills. Im climbing hills every day and its hot here and its crazy. We walk a lot, but its a good thing.

5. We take the bus all the time. Since our sector is so big we have to take the bus to different parts. Its different here than in Utah. Here you just stick your arm out and the bus stops and you hop on and then when you get to where you want, you just say stop and hop off, its strange. Ive never ridden the bus more in my life...

6. THEY HAVE LACTOSE FREE MILK HERE. I am saved! Thats all I have to say about that.

7.So its hot here and sometimes my feet turn red because theyre hot and a lot of the women in the ward are like, Oh my gosh, your feet! Haha they are all really concerned with why me feet are red but I just tell them that its okay..

8. Kankles. Ok so I was just sitting in Church on Sunday and I looked down and my anklese were gone! haha my ankles are so swollen because of all the walking and the heat. But Its okay and hopefullly the swelling will go down.

9. Matrimonio-marriage! Marriage is what brings us together today! Hermana Rocio got married the other day and it was way awesome!

10. Baptism! So Hermana Rocio got married and then baptized on Saturday along with her two sons! Ah, it was soo awesome! I feel so honored to be a part of such an amazing work!

The work is thriving here and Im so glad that I get to be here. Its not easy but I wouldnt trade it for the world. I may not be able to speak very well but these people are so kind and loving. Anyway, theres a taste of my life in Ecuador. I hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Roylance

Chapter 6 - I made it to Ecuador!

Ashley left the CCM early Tuesday morning, and was on her way to Ecuador.  At about 5:45am our time, she was allowed to make a short 1 minute phone call to us.  It was so good to hear her voice.  Once she got to the mission home, she only had about 5 minutes to type out a letter to us.  I delayed posting her letter this week because I know that the Mission President's wife posts pictures of the incoming missionaries.  But alas, I guess she's behind on her posting.  So, being super sleuth dad, I logged into Ashley's LDS account and figured out where her first assignment was.  She has been assigned to the Florida Ward in Guayaquil.  We know that she has a Latin companion, and that's about all we know.  That first week in the mission is tough.  We're hoping that we hear from her on Monday (we think Mondays are P-days), and get the whole story of the first week.

Hi, I made it to Ecuador! I only have like 5 minutes to write but I just wanted to let you know that everything is good. We met the mission president and his wife and they are very nice. It is very humid here...because we have lived in Utah for as long as I can remember, all I really know is dry heat and here I can like cut the air with a knife....anyway, I guess its not even the hot part of the year right now, that comes in like January and February or something so this should be fun. I woke up at 3:30 this morning and so I'm really tired right now and I kind of want to take a nap but I stay awake because this is all so new and I just want to take it all in. The CCM was good but I'm so excited to be here now. We stay in temple housing tonight and have some meetings tomorrow and then go to our areas tomorrow afternoon....here I go. Wow! I will write more next week. Love you all and hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Roylance

Chapter 5 - Final Countdown

Ashley is continuing to do well.  She's down to her last week in the CCM.  She will be on her way to Ecuador next Tuesday!!!!

Ok everyone, its the final countdown! I have like 4 ish days until I'm thrown out into a world where I can only talk to people about the gospel (and I cant even really do that very well), and its really hot, and I will have a companion that only speaks Spanish, and everything will be totally different!! But Im so excited...its been a good ride here in the CCM.

TIDE-TO-GO PEN

Ok, thanks to Hermana Flamm and mom for telling me about the magic of tide to go pens...it is literally saving my district. haha so many people in my district have used it, including myself, and its awesome! Glad I have them!

SPIRIT ANIMAL

Ok, one day a few weeks ago we were all sitting around and everyone in my district gave each other a spirit animal...and they decided mine was a lemur...yeah. I think I like it haha it was so funny. We have some good times here. My companion was a blue jay so that fit her pretty well too.

WE ARE FAMOUS

Ok so last week, when we were at Monsoratte, this lady just came up to us and said something in Spanish to me that I didnt really understand-suprise-but I understood that it had to do with taking a picture so I thought she wanted us to take a picture of her and the lady she was with so I was like, yeah ok sure. But then we started walking out there and the lady had the camera and she wanted to take the picture with us! Haha so me and two elders and my companion all got in a picture with her! haha I felt cool for a few seconds...I guess youre really interesting if youre white and youre in Colombia...

DREAMS

Ok, the CCM makes me have the strangest dreams...like every night I have really strange dreams and most of the time the missionaries from my district are in them..they range from having a soccer game in our classroom to one of the Hermanas in my district being suddenly fluent in Spanish and riding a llama...its so strange..but so funny.
​

(Hermana Phippen, Hermana Walker, and Hermana Roylance)

PB&CHOCOLATE

The farm is saved! (this is a favorite expression of Hermana Phippen) So Elder McDermott brought peanut butter and chocolate spread with him and he breaks it out whenever the Latins go to the temple and its just the Nortes there for breakfast and its wonderful. Im pretty sure I took peanut butter for granted before me mission....it is so good! Those are pretty much the best breakfasts. I think Ill have to save up in Ecuador and buy me some pb and nutella!

1 NEPHI 3:7-8

Ok so we did this really awesome thing in my district on Sunday and Monday where we all sat in a circle and one person sat in the middle and we all looked for scriptures that applied to them or just scriptures that we thought they needed and oh my, it was way coool. Everyone in my district got a turn and it was really neat. I feel like we really bonded after that because to me, it was an expression of love and charity...here we are looking for scriptures and listening to the spirit as to what we think that person needed at that time...it was amazing. Well, one of the scriptures that was said about me was 1 Nephi 3:7-8 I will go and do the things the Lord has commanded...and the comment that the Elder made with it was really awesome. So it says in verse 8 I think, something about Nephis father being proud of him and the Elder just said Well I dont know how your dad feels but I bet hes pretty proud of you and glad youre here and lots of other people are glad youre here too.  And I was just like wow-speak to my heart why dont you! It was so awesome and it was really cool because I dont talk to that Elder a lot but he said just the right thing! I knew my dad was thinking about me and is proud of me! I love you dad!

HERE COMES THE SUN

Ok so there are two meanings to this. 1-The sun is litterally coming and Ecuador is going to be sooo so hot and humid so thats one thing but 2-Here comes the sun, as in the song, made quite the difference the other day. So one night we were just in the bathroom and this song just popped into my head, I dont know why, but I just kept singing it. Anyway, one of the Hermanas in my district walked out of a stall and I could see that her eyes were red like she was crying..all I said was hi to her but for some reason I Knew that I just needed to keep singing that song..I was hoping that somehow it would help her. So I continued to sing and then we both went to bed and that was the end of that. Well, yesterday we were in class and part of it was we were sharing our testimonies about prayer and she was paired up with me and she started telling me about how the other day she was in the bathroom crying and just praying for some sort of comfort because she was feeling pretty down and then she heard me singing that song. I wasnt singing it very loud but she said she heard enough to realize what the song was and the lyrics were "here comes the sun...and its alright" and she said thats exactly what she needed. I was so happy to hear that. The Lord really does answer prayers and we are answers to peoples prayers more than we know. I knowo that if we respond to the promptings of the spirit that we will bless the lives of others. And sometimes we are lucky enough to see the results of our efforts. I know the Church is true. I know prayer is communicacion with God and we will receive answers. I know that we can be answers to prayers and God loves us so much!

I love you all and I hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Roylance

Chapter 4 - Changing it Up Again!

We are now getting the hang of this moving P-day thing.  It's great when her last P-day was just last Thursday and now get to hear from her again today.  Then we have another long wait until Thursday next (15th).  She's doing great, and sent us pictures today!!!  Such as this one from the temple.

Here is her letter, and the rest of the pictures:

Hi everyone! So its the end of week four, for real now... and its time to get all new Latins! Its so exciting when they all come, even though its sad to see the old ones leave! 

TOUR

Ok so we got to go on a tour of Bogota today and it was awesome! We went to Monserrate (I don't know how to spell that) but its very cool and very pretty and very high in the mountains. We took this really cool tram up the mountain, and I kid you not, straight up the mountain...it was crazy. We got to look out over the city of Bogota and its huge! and we didnt even see all of it! I got a lot of cool pictures that Ill try to send! We also went to the souvenir shops and bought stuff and that was way fun too.

ARE WE IN UTAH?

Ok, so there are these beautiful mountains here that remind me of Utah and then one night we had green jello and someone was like...mountains and green jello, are we in Utah? haha I just thought it was funny and I wanted to share.

CONFERENCE

Wow, wasnt conference great!? I loved watching and listening to all the apostles and prophet speak to us..I especially loved it because it was in English!  Jeffrey R. Hollands talk definitely made me cry....I love my mom! and I'm so grateful for her unconditional love! Also, I really liked the talk about ponderizing the scriptures. I think thats such a good idea and Im going to try and do that here on my mission. One thing that he said would happen as you did this was that the scriptures would become like loyal friends you could rely on and I really want that and I believe its true. I just want to challenge you guys to do that..find a scripture, put it in a place where you can see it every day, think about it often, and really ponder the meaning. Try it for just one week and note the change in your lives..I promise that it will make them better and as you do this it will provide a higher place for you thoughts to go, like he said.

WE ARE ONE

Ok, this is not the Provo MTC and its very small here and our district had six people in it and I was like, yes I like this, this is good. Well, the rest of the people I came here on the plane with were in another district and there were 7 of them and that was good too, but last night they combined us into one district so there's like 13 of us and its HUGE...ok you know you're at the Colombia CCM when 13 in your district is huge, but really it feels quite big, but I love it and I love these people. They are all so great and have wonderful testimonies..I couldn't have made it this far without them!

PROSELYTING PART II-WITHOUT HIVES

Ok we went proselyting on Friday and it was so awesome! We went for 3 hours this time instead of 1 and we were around a library and there were so many people to talk to. It was a lot different from the first time we went. We had more confidence and it was fun. Even though we couldn't understand most of what they were saying, we could feel the spirit and I know it was helping us. Its amazing that the spirit works that way and Im so grateful that it does because it really is the true teacher and its helpful because I don't know Spanish. We gave out both of our Books of Mormon and I really like the people we gave them out to. One guy, he was probably in his 20s, seemed really interested and said he was going to go read it. I felt like he was sincere and it filled me with such joy-oh I wish I could follow up with these people! But I know the missionaries in their areas will be able to touch their lives!

Well, I hope you are all having a great week! I love you!

Love,

Hermana Roylance