Hermana Abbigail Harper: WE LIKE FREAKED OUT WE WERE SO HAPPY......

Well Fam Bam, it's only been a few days since we have talked!!

Another cool view of the valle!!

I almost feel like it didn't happen, for real. It seems like it was a dream. But it was so good to see all of your lovely faces and hear all of your beautiful voices. Let's do it again soon ya? How about Mothers Day? Cool, sounds like a date :) hehe

So guess what?? Efrain was baptized!!! And man it almost didn't happen.....On Thursday night we were going over the baptismal interview questions with him before his interview and he was like hey, I think I'm gonna go visit my family tomorrow in Cañar until Wednesday cause I don't have work till then.....and we were like, you have got to be kidding me....We used all the pep talk skills we have when stuff like this happens.....telling him that when we are on the right path, Satan
puts things in the way so we don't follow through with the plan God has for us and how he could just wait to travel until after his confirmation on Sunday morning and still have plenty of time at home, etc etc. But during all that, he seemed pretty set on just waiting to get baptized until the next week.....we had pretty much given up and lost hope, sitting their in silence, on the verge of tears.....when he was suddenly like actually, ya, that's fine. I'll just travel Sunday after church.....we like freaked out we were so happy. haha. So the interview went well. On Saturday we had such a good member turnout to attend the baptism we almost didn't have enough dessert for everyone! We just had to cut really small pieces :) and Sunday morning he was confirmed and all is well!!! Efrain was such a tender mercy from the Lord for Hna clark and I as we have been working so so so hard opening this giant sector here in Monay and are so grateful we were able to see some fruits of our labors after all that happened. So far, no transfers have happened but we shall see how it goes throughout this week.....I honestly have no idea what to think.....if I'm gonna stay or go....but I hate the not knowing! anxiety. haha. Oh well.

So another cool story from this week.....on Saturday this black lady walks in to church (there aren't very many black people in Cuenca) and she's completely alone and no one knows her. So naturally we approach her and start talking to her. She doesn't really speak Spanish or English. And when we ask her what her language is she just says ¨no comprendo¨. We were like what the what??? She finally understands the word ¨pais¨ and we figured out she's from Haiti and speaks French!! What the What? So she stays at church all 3 hours even though she obviously understands close to nothing.....We walk her home after so we could find out where she lives and luckily her nephew who was there spoke Spanish!! He's been living here 2 years studying and when he came he knew no Spanish. He's also from Haiti and French is also his native language. Turns out there's like 5 people from Haiti there living with some Ecuadorian dude who is part of some foreign program or whatever, not quite sure. But it was just such the strangest experience....talking with people from Haiti in Ecuador....their native language being French, ours being English, yet communicating through Spanish, which is a second language for both of us. Talk about crazy!! So I guess this lady is here visiting her nephew for a few months and is Christian and wanted to go to church so the Ecuadorian guy was just like, hey there's one up the street and dropped her off at our capilla! So crazy.We have no idea how we are going to teach her since her nephew is barely home and he's the only one with translating capabilities. But i guess we shall find out!!

Well I'm about out of time but I love you guys so much and can't wait to hear about your New Year's next week!!! Can't believe 2013 is over, 2014 here we come!! Until next week.....

Con mucho Cariño en Cueca,

Hermana Harper