SHALL WE NOT GO ON IN SO GREAT A CAUSE?

Well Madre, I hope you're satisfied with the outpouring of pictures :) haha. We took a ton this week. and Dad, I'm gonna to do my best to get some solid candid shots but the thing is you just can't set up a tripod for a selfie because it would get stolen in 2 seconds....which is also why you can't ask a random stranger in the street if they would please take a photo for you....or even stop in the street and take one yourself for that matter. I really don't wanna get robbed and lose all my photos so I try and be really careful.  I need to buy a jump drive to back everything up. Well anyways, as you can see from all the pictures, this week was great!

Ronald's Baptism Day

Ronald was baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday!! woohooo!!!! The baptism was crazy stressful.  Our mission leader didn't show up so we started an hour late, leaving all of our other investigators and the family and friends of Ronald waiting.  We ended up having to merge with the baptism of another ward and I may have yelled at a couple Elders (I can be angry in Spanish) but you know what it all comes down to is that Ronald Tejena is now one of the newest members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints and I am just so dang happy. Although I have had other baptisms before him, I really feel like he has been my first CONVERT. and maybe that's just because I could understand what was going on more and participate more...but also, he really is just such a special kid. Hermana Yagual and I always rant on and on about how awesome he is. We're hoping he might even serve a mission! He's 23 but he was asking the elders about the age requirements in priesthood class on Sunday and in his confirmation he was blessed that he could serve a full time mission if he had the desire to do so. !!!!!!!!. That seriously is the dream. To have a convert serve a mission as well. I can only imagine how awesome it would feel to have my labors cause that great domino affect in the work of the Kingdom of the Lord.

Ronald's Baptism

Ronald's Confirmation

Missions are hard but man they are so amazing. This is the first time in my life that I've really ever felt productive. Where literally everything I do is for others and not for myself. And not only is it for others, but it's for the salvation of others, to bring lost souls unto christ. To find those celestial brothers and sisters of ours who have yet to find their way back to the gospel of our Heavenly Father. The cause is not only a great one, but it is THEE cause. The only reason we are here on this Earth. And to quote are beloved prophet, Joseph Smith, ¨Shall we not go on in so great a cause?¨ This quote gives me strength daily and I encourage each and every one of you to strengthen your personal missionary efforts. If I can invite a person to be baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ after only 5 min of conversation, you can invite a friend to a mutual or relief society activity....Yes, I'm talking to YOU ;)

Well all is well with Jhordan and Pedro as well. They are all set to be baptized on Saturday! They are seriously the smartest most prepared little kids and their mom, Carmen, is becoming more and more supportive every day and we are hoping to comit her to baptism this week! But they all attended Ronald's baptism and then church yesterday as well. They are all so excited and we are just so excited for them! True happiness right here only comes from the Gospel of Jesus Christ folks :)

We'll I'm glad you all had a great week. Jealous of your trip up the coast Mom and Da. Sounds like it was a fun little getaway :) Love you all so ridiculously much and can't wait to hear from you next week! until then....

con gran amour,   Hermana Harper

 Me standing in our little farm outside the house

Went back to parque colon aka the giant boat with Hna Yagual because she hadn't seen it yet. So just in case you didn't get your fill of the giant boat.

Family Home Evening last Monday night (after we wrote) making arepas from colombia with the Matamoros family and Ronald. We watched, Finding Faith in Christ and had a good ol time : )

Baby bananas and giant hamburgers. Ecuador really has it all! haha

So I've been wanting to take pictures in this ¨park¨ like ever since I got here cause I just think it is so funny that the wall declares that this is a park and then there's like one slide in a pile of dirt and that's it. So I finally convinced my comp to go take pics there. :)

We went to el centro today and bought some knock off Ecuador jerseys for 5 bucks. GO ECUADOR!