We are now in a sector called Lilian Maria. It is crazy to me that I have finally left Cuenca.

Hola todos!

Well first off I am sorry that my email this morning was crazy mom. Okay I will explain everything. So this week has been one of the absolute most crazy of all my mission. Monday night we got called at 10:00 and were told that we both were transferred and we were to be in the bus station at 3 in the morning. Then we got sent together to Guayaquil. We then took all of our stuff and waited with the Assistants of the mission and they took us to the office of the mission and we had interviews with the president and then we were told we were to sing for a huge thing there in Guayaquil. One of the 70 came to the mission to talk to us all as a mission and we were to sing for him for a meeting in Guayaquil which is really really cool. His name was Elder Uceda. He is from Peru. It was amazing to hear him I learned so much. Mom a lot of which had some to do with what you said about obedience. It really is the key to the mission. The successful missionaries are those who are obedient with exactness. Those who don`t only have baptisms but have converts. The people who keep the commandments until the end. This is what I want. Yes we are one of the highest baptizing missions in the world but something that is important to remember is to have converts not only baptisms. Anyway it was super eye opening. Then we got told we were going to our sector in Machala. It was really cool because we both got transferred together. I am so happy to be with Hermana Mann. She is a really great missionary and I have learned so much from her even though I am the one training her. She has had a super rough start to her mission. Her brother got married this last weekend and then today she got called and told that her grandpa died last night. It just kinda has been one thing after another for her. I don`t know how she has been able to survive it. But she has been super strong. 

Anyway then Wednesday we got to Machala. We are now in a sector called Lilian Maria. It is an amazing sector. It is crazy to me that I have finally left Cuenca. But let me tell you it has been a rough adjustment. It is so so so so so so so HOT here. Mom you know how you hate camping in Nauvoo in August? It is like that every single day but inside houses without air conditioning. It has been a bit of an adjustment. In sacrament yesterday I thought I was gonna die. Imagine over 100 people sitting super close with about over 100 degrees plus humidity. I am not quite sure how I am gonna survive here. ha ha. But it is good. The people are amazing. We have been put in a ward where they haven`t seen Hermanas in their ward in over a year. Only Elders. When we got here we didn`t have a house to live in. We were sleeping on the floor of another sister's house in another sector and it was a little crazy for a couple of days. Anyway we have a new house and it is working out all good. The sisters in this ward are super excited to have Hermana`s and they are excited to be working with us. I am super excited as well. It is a huge huge huge sector. But I am so grateful. The Elders here have been so helpful. I am just so grateful.

We invited a 15 year old girl, who lives with her aunt who is a member, to church and she came to church on Sunday and she was great. Her name is Angie. She accepted to be baptized this 17th of May. I am so excited! I think she was super scared of the Elders before and now with Hermanas she actually sees us as friends ha ha. So that is cool. 

Something that Elder Uceda from the seventy said to us was that Hermanas have about 3 times the power of Elders. I was shocked at that statement. But since then we have heard it a ton and the Elders always remind us of it. But wow. He had so many great things to say. But his main focus really was that this work is IMPOSSIBLE without the members. The references of the members of the ward are the kind of people we need to teach and focus on. It was so great to hear directly from someone who has received words from the Prophets for us to know. I just love missionary work so much. There is just so much I love about it. I also absolutely love Ecuador. I know that it was totally inspired for me to be here. God sure had a plan. Crazy stuff. 

Anyway. I love you all tons. You mean the world to me. Sorry that all of my letters seem so short. But I tried to make a good one for this week. This is my life right now. Remember that I am always praying for you. There is no one I love more. Thank you for your support. And just think two more weeks and I`ll get to see you all over Skype!

I loved all of the photos and videos of you all. You all look adorable and sound great. I can`t believe how grown up you all are!! Crazy.

Love you tons,

Emily

Well it is a long story.... Hahahaha but it begins with me falling down the stairs.....

 Hola!
 Well it is a long story.... Hahahaha but it begins with me falling down the stairs and this afternoon I have a doctors appointment to get it checked out haha. But don`t worry I am totally fine they are just  checking if anything is wrong. But honestly it is just bruised. SO that kinda sucks.

First off I miss you all and I hope you have had an amazing week. I am so grateful to be serving here. This week has been such an inspiring week for me. My companion has taught me so much while I have been here with her. She really is amazing to me. It reminds me of when I first got here. It was so rough, but man I am so glad that I know Spanish now. Seriously such a blessing.

I know that my redeemer lives. I know that he loves me. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that it supports all of what the Bible teaches. I know that God has a huge plan for me and for every single one of us. 

I love you all tons and you know what is so awesome about Easter and this time of the year? It is that we can remember our Savior and that he was resurrected and that all of us will be resurrected one day. I can`t wait for this time to come.

You asked what I would want in my Easter package,  I would absolutely love markers hahaha. Kinda random but they are super expensive here and I can`t afford them. But yeah I don`t know what else. I have been thinking of that. Maybe some printed off general conference talks in English. haha. But probably more photos of my family and friends or something? You really don`t have to send me anything haha. But a gift sure would be nice. Letters from all of you! Those are probably my favorite. 

Well actually I would love it if you could maybe send me like a 15 dollar digital camera if those exist. I think I will want the absolute cheapest camera because they are SUPER expensive here. But I think I will want one for the next 10 months of my mission.

 I have 15 more minutes. 

But oh my gosh I miss my brother Michael so so so so much. Tell him he is my little rock star, seriously. I hope one day he gets to serve a Spanish speaking mission and that we will get to speak Spanish together :) 

I cannot believe how quick the time has passed. I am excited to see you all too! Don`t get to sad! The time passes quickly :) 

As for my knee. You know how I am I fell down the stairs and of course didn`t want to make a big deal of it. So I refused to call the nurses. But really I am fine. I can walk just fine. It just hurts when I kneel down, which happens to be a lot haha. But honestly I am completely fine! And thank you so much for everything. Don`t spend too much on the package I always feel terrible when I see the price of the package when I get it! Spend as little as possible.

 But mom I believe that every girl should work to serve a mission. Seriously one of the best experiences.

I have grown so much and I have only been out 8 months. But I want you all to know that God really does have a plan for all. So just follow the guidance of God, this is a good way to prepare yourself for a family one day and to be a better member of God's church.

Sorry I gotta get off soon!

Tell everyone I love them!

 Love you tons!!!

Hermana Pack

 Remember to read your scriptures :)

This week we kinda had a little craziness and someone stole my camera.

Hola!

Well today I sent you all letters!! I hope you guys can get them! It is $2.50 to send letters here. Which is kinda a ton so I sure hope you can get it. But the stamps are kinda cool. Well first off this week was crazy. We didn`t have a whole lot of people to teach. I really truly believe the Lord is just trying our faith and he just wants us to be strengthened. But it sure has been difficult. But we did teach one guy these past two weeks and he just moved to Peru. But he said he was gonna send us photos of his baptism in Peru. He really was a great guy. And hey I am still doing what I can to get the work moving along.

This week we kinda had a little craziness and someone stole my camera. Don`t worry. It wasn`t that big of a deal so don`t worry at all. I just don`t happen to know where my camera is. And the worst part about it is that it had all of my photos from all of my mission in it. So quite honestly that is the most depressing part. But Mom if you have saved any of my emails it would be really cool if you could save my photos as well because honestly those are the only photos I have now of my mission. Sadly. But luckily we have the blog, right?

This past week we taught a woman who is bed ridden because she is super sick and she showed us all of her photos in her photo albums and it was crazy to see. Her and her husband are 90 years old and converts to the church. It is crazy to see the good fruits that have come from them. It was amazing. All of the children they had that served missions and all of their grandchildren. But what was the most amazing to see was her baptism photo. That is what I want for these people.  I want them to one day share their photos with other missionaries and change those missionaries perspective on things. God really just has such great plans for his families. God just is so real. It was crazy to see her cute little face light up when we sang hymns for her. She really was great. But that is why I am here. To change lives. And bless those who I come in contact with. Anyway, I wish you all a great Easter and I love you all tons. 

Remember that this is a time for the Lord and that he has blessed you with such amazing things.

Christ lives. He loves you all. He knows us and supports us.

Love to you all,

Hermana Pack

Training has been one of the most difficult yet exciting things of my mission.

Hola!

I am so glad you were able to see conference. Mom you were completely right. The second conference on Sunday was perfect for investigators. Luckily all of our investigators were there Sunday afternoon. I was really impacted by this conference and I think it was because I had to concentrate so hard to understand everything, because it was in Spanish. My poor companion. I felt bad I don`t think she got a ton out of it because she is so new.

Training has been one of the most difficult yet exciting things of my mission. My biggest thing is trying to remind myself that I need to pretend to be a Latina because without me she won`t learn Spanish very quickly but she really is great and I am so grateful to have her. Right now has been a true trial of my faith. Opening up a sector can be super stressful but I am so grateful to have this opportunity. I have been able to learn a ton. 

This past Saturday was General Conference and we tried with all of our might to find and bring people to conference. But before we left the house we decided to pray with all of our hearts to have at least one person in the conference, and God provided. It was crazy. We were literally just walking down the street when we found a man who started talking to us in English, (this happens a lot considering we are both gringas. haha) But we invited him to the conference and just headed on out and he broke down when we invited him to be baptized. He said this is what he has always been waiting for.... And wow it just was amazing. God has a plan for all it just blows my mind how well he works.

Anyway as usual I am short on time sorry! But I hope you like the pictures of this week. I miss you all tons and I wish the best for you. You are always in my prayers. Love you all.

Hermana Pack